LIFE!
by gordiesplace
Summary: 1638.1 Just an idea that popped into my head and I wanted to...HAD to post it before it faded. I have no idea where this might lead, but its a fun thought. Possible M rating in the future, so I'm labelling it that.
1. Chapter 1

1638.1

Just an idea that popped into my head and I wanted to...HAD to post it before it faded. I have no idea where this might lead, but its a fun thought.  
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Booth and Brennan were having their usual post case talk at the diner.

And as usual, there was an underscore of emotional and sexual tension between them, along with a tenderness and an affection that an outside person could not fail to notice. In the beginning they discussed the case, but again as usual, the talk drifted to affectionate banter that left them both smiling.

Eventually Booth excused himself to use the washroom. As he passed a nearby table, he felt a firm hand grip his forearm. Booth was brought to a stop.

"Excuse me young man, might you have the time of day?"

Booth looked down at an older gentleman, then quickly glanced around the table. The old guy was sitting with several other people. All wealthy and attractive looking. Why was this bunch hanging around an ordinary diner, when they looked like a 5 star restaurant crowd?

For some reason Booth felt a moment of confusion. He couldn't place the accent of the man, foreign certainly, Mediterranean possibly...and he couldn't place the man's age...at first glance he would have guessed late fifties, early sixties. But the guys eyes, that's what confused Booth...those eyes...they seemed to burn with vitality, but at the same time seemed so...ancient...

Booth looked at his watch, and said, "Uh...its 7:35 P.M.?" He raised his eyebrows in an unspoken,"Is that all?" and made to go on his way.  
But that grip tightened just above Booth's wrist, and although it wasn't really all that tight, Booth had the feeling this guy's grip could be like an iron shackle if he wanted it to be.

"Might I make a query, young man? Regarding your beautiful companion there?"

Booth's brow furrowed, but he remained silent, so the gentleman went on.  
"She is very beautiful, and it is obvious there is a great affection between you both. I daresay, even love. "  
Booth opened his mouth to protest, but the man waved it away with an almost imperious gesture.

"Don't try to deny it young man...I've seen it too many times to be wrong about it. Tell me , why do you hesitate? Why do you both draw away from one another when you are attracted to each other so powerfully its easy for anyone to see it?" The man looked piercingly into Booth's eyes.

Booth found himself answering almost against his will. "Listen buster...not that its any of your business, but we're partners, we work together. We don't indulge in personal relationships because its against the rules, and we..."

"Stupidity"." the man said with another imperious gesture. . Booth was getting annoyed. The man gazed at Brennan, and said "Do you not realize life should be savored, enjoyed? Do you not realize what you have there..." He nodded toward Brennan, "Is something few men find? There's love between you both, LOVE! How can you deny yourselves the joy of such love and passion, over such stupidity as rules. Living life, to truly live, you must break some rules. Do you not wish to start living Mr. Booth? You are not, you think you are, but your life is a shadow of what it could be. Oh, I know you think you have had some adventures.." the man's eyes left Brennan and they gripped Booth's again...but there is so much more to be experienced, do you not wish to take the zest of life to its fullest?"

Booth's locked eyes with the older gentleman's, and a moment of realization passed between them both. Each was looking into the eyes of a warrior...

Booth snatched his arm out of that grip...and felt he had been allowed to.

"My life is just fine, thank you. I don't know where you get off judging my life and making assumptions like you have, but I hope you and your crew here have had your fun slumming, and maybe you should go back to your yaught or private plane or whatever you rich people travel in and go find your own kind."

Booth stalked off, and the gentleman watch him leave with a look of humor and anticipation.

"Him?" one of his companions asked.

"Oh yes, him..." he said with a grin.

"Now...We must be off! I must find some drinkable wine in this town, and must visit the sights! Come!" he said with huge geniality to his companions, , and strode out of the diner, and they followed him like a pride of lions following the head male.

In the washroom, Booth was dashing water over his face to cool his temper before he went back out...he was looking into the mirror and taking a long breath, when he realized that total stranger out there had called him by name... 


	2. Chapter 2

Booth came out of the washroom and scanned the place for the stranger, but the old guy and his crew were nowhere in sight.

Booth couldn't shake a feeling of unease, how did that guy know him? Then he shrugged...maybe he was just a nosy old bastard with nothing better to do than eavesdrop on others conversations.

Booth thought it over quickly, and reasoned the old guy probably had been sitting close enough to overhear Brennan talking with him. She HAD called Booth by name a number of times. Yeah, that was it, just a guy with too much time on his hands who killed his own boredom by sticking his nose in other peoples business.

Booth thought to himself, "Maybe I need a vacation, I'm getting as paranoid as Hodgins."

He chuckled to himself, and shook off that feeling, and looked over to his table, where Bones was sitting looking out the window. One thing the old buzzard had right, she IS very beautiful. Booth smiled and walked to the table and sat down.

Brennan ,looked at him and said, "Booth, did you know that distinguished looking gentleman that you stopped to converse with?"

"No, I didn't. He just grabbed my arm as I was passing by and started spouting nonsense." he said.

Booth gave Brennan an appraising look, then said. "ALMOST all of it was nonsense, anyway." He shot Brennan a lopsided grin, and for some reason Brennan felt her face flush with color.

"Uh, well, I thought you must know him, because one of the people he was with came over as he was leaving and said to give this to you." Brennan handed Booth a small white envelope, with two words neatly typed on its center. "Mister Booth"

Goose flesh surged over Booth's body. He opened the envelope. He read the short letter within.

Brennan watch as a series of chilling changes swept over Booth's face. They went from puzzlement, to fear, and she watched the color drain out of his face as it went to to sheer terror!  
She reached over and touched his arm, and said "Booth! What's wrong?"

"That bastard.." Booth said weakly. "That dirty bastard..."

"Booth? BOOTH! What?"

Booth looked up from the letter. Brennan watched as a final, fearsome change came over Booth's face. One of danger, of violence, of potential murder.

With white knuckled power, he crushed the letter in his big hand...and growled deeply...

"He has Parker..." 


	3. Chapter 3

rennan reached across the table and placed her hand over Booth's white knuckled fist.

"Booth, what is that? What's it say? "

Booth, his brow clenched and dark as a thundercloud, opened his hand and let Brennan take the he stood, and Brennan looked up, and she listened to him as he began to speak

"Bones, take that and the envelope to the Jeffersonian. Get Hodgins and everybody else you might need on it. If there's a molecule of evidence on it, I want to know about it. I want that thing analyzed and then analyzed and then analyzed again till something shows up."

Booth unconsciously pulled out his gun and checked the clip for ammo and shoved it back into his holster as he spoke.

" I'm going to call Parker's mother to find out if this is some sick joke or hoax, and let her know what's going on if its not. then I'm going to the location this note gave. Have you cell handy, if I need you or any of the team I'll call."

"Booth flipped his phone open and dialed Rebecca's number. When she answered without preamble Booth said forcefully "Where's Parker?"

"Booth? What? Why?"

"WHERE"S PARKER!" Booth snarled.

A startled Rebecca said "He...he's on a school outing to the should be back any time"

"Why weren't you with him? Who's he with? TELL ME NOW!"

" I had an appointment...Booth!" Fear gripped Rebecca's spine and squeezed. Suddenly she could barely speak above a whisper. "Booth...what's going on?"

"Rebecca, answer me NOW! Who's he WITH?"

"H...he's with a class friend, Parker's friend's parents are some of the chaperones..."

"Give me their cell numbers now!" Booth grated through clenched teeth.

Tears were now running down Rebecca's face.. "Booth? Booth...Oh God..."

She was terrified to ask, but she had to..."Booth..*sob*.."What's happened to Parker?"

Booth softened his tone as much as he could. "Rebecca, I'm sorry...I think he's been kidnapped."

Rebecca's hand flew to her mouth, and she collapsed with a moan to the floor.

"Is this some sick joke?" she moaned? "Booth...tell me this is a mistake!"

"That's what I need to find out, I hope to God this is a joke or a horrible prank...and that's why I need those numbers. But Rebecca...I have a note someone gave me...saying he's been taken...

"Noooooo...Booth...noooooo...Parker...noooooo"

Rebecca...REBECCA! I'll get him back, as God is my witness, I'll get him back. But I need those numbers NOW!"

Rebecca pulled herself together enough to recite the numbers to Booth, then heard a click and he was gone. She dropped the phone to the floor beside her and sat sopping into her hands...

Booth had disconnected from Rebecca without a further word, and dialed the first number...and got no answer but to leave a message

He tried the second number with no success either.

He snapped his phone shut, looked at Brennan and said, "Bones! get that to the lab! I'm going to the location. Alone!" He snapped as Brennan opened her mouth to protest.

"I can handle know that. Now get going. If you don't hear from me within the hour, call this in to the local authorities."

Brennan grabbed Booth's sleeve as he turned to leave as she stood, and pulled him back. "Booth, find Parker...be careful." she said simply, then gave him a fierce hug.

Booth hugged her breath out, and rumbled deep in his chest "I will...don't worry about me, or Parker...worry about who did this... because they'll pay...now get that to the lab..."

Then he was gone...

Brennan watched as he left, and part of her realized that although he was an enraged and terrified father, he was also an extremely capable FBI agent, and he was also a trained killer, and she thought to herself, "Whoever did this isn't safe, no matter who or where or what he might be. Come what may, Booth is going to get his son back, and whoever did this will likely die for it." 


	4. Chapter 4

Brennan looked down at the note.

It said: "Mr. Booth, as you are reading this, we are in the process of abducting your son. This is no joke or is deadly serious. No harm will come to him IF you follow our directions carefully.  
Come ALONE, to the GPS coordinates below. Do NOT alert the local police! What we want will be made clear to you upon your arrival there. Remember, alone, and no law enforcement."

Below that were the coordinates. Nothing more.  
Brennan picked a latex glove out of her purse( she was in the habit of taking some everywhere she went) and gingerly re-folded and replaced the letter in the envelope, asked for a received a plastic sandwich bag from the waiter, bagged the letter, stuck it in her purse, took a deep breath, and started punching numbers into her cell as she headed out to hail a cab. She needed to get the team together and to the Jeffersonian as soon as possible.

Booth weaved his big SUV swiftly and skillfully through the streets. The only outward sign of of his distress was a hard frown. Deep inside, a part of him howled and raged, feared for and ached to hold his boy, and craved to tear the throat out of whoever was doing this with his bare hands. His forearms ridged and bulged as he unconsciously gripped the steering wheel harder.

But he knew he had to be in control. He knew panicking was not going to he buried those feelings, and became something similar to what he had been in combat or sniper situations.  
Even though he was seething in a secret place deep inside, the rest of his mind and body had become cool, calm, efficient...and deadly.

This was compartmentalization beyond anything Brennan had ever talked about or even achieved. Booth rarely if ever mentioned this side of himself. But this was what he had been in combat. This was how he had survived. This was how he could function in extremely high stress situations. This was what made him lethal to his enemies.

Booth sped on, checking his GPS, realizing he was getting close to the coordinates given, and frowned, confused, when he realized it was only a few blocks from Parker's school, where the bus that took them on trips such as this dropped the kids off for the parents to collect.

Booth swung onto a tree lined, quiet residential street, and about three quarters of the way down that street, sat a yellow school bus, flanked fore and aft by police cruisers.

As Booth floored it and made for the bus, the cruisers pulled out and sped off in different directions. Why were they there? Had Bones called it in after all? Where the hell were they going?  
Booth swung up in front of the bus, jumped out and ran to the door and lept up the stairs and inside.

"PARKER! PARKER!" Booth called desperately.

The bus driver tugged on Booth's sleeve. "He's not here. He went with those cops in one of those cop cars"

Booth, realizing something was wrong here, grabbed the driver by his shirt front and pulled him out of his seat.  
"Which one? Which car? Which way did they take him? TALK!"

"I...I dunno...it was confusing..after they took him out everyone started babbling and moving around and I was trying to calm them down. What's going on? When they pulled me over and came aboard the bus, they said there was some sort of threat, and asked for the boy by name, and took him out. . And suddenly no one's phone would work. They stood outside for a minute or two, then suddenly rushed off. Then you were here. What's going on?"

Booth realizing he had only moments if he hoped to catch up to either car, turned and looked down the length of the bus. "Did ANYONE see which way they took that boy? ANYONE?"  
Noone seemed to know. Booth ground his teeth in frustration. He'd have to see if he could catch up to one of the cars and if it was the wrong one, maybe beat it out of whoever was driving to find out these guys were, and where they were taking Parker, because he sensed they weren't real cops.

He sprinted out of the bus and to the SUV, and hesitated for a moment, chose his direction, and started a silent prayer.

He flung open the door, and was just swinging a leg inside when suddenly from behind him he heard: "Dad?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Dad...*gasp* ..jeeeez...Dad...you're gonna kill me..."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Booth yelled, then immediately he tried to calm himself as he saw Parker's eyes go big.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure." Booth replied. "Those cops that took you off the bus, what did they say to you? Can you remember?

Parker shrugged. "Didn't say much. They pulled us over then came on the bus and said somethin to the bus driver, then they asked for me. They said somethin about...I dunno...trouble or somethin... then that you were coming to pick me up."

"They told you I was...?" Booth frowned. "OK Parker, what happened then? Where were you? You weren't on the bus and you weren't here when I pulled did you come from? What happened after they took you off the bus?"

"Well... We just stood outside waiting, and then one of them got a call on his radio, they got all excited acting and put me in the car quick and took me down that street a little ways, then said I should get out and come back and look for you, and I did, then they took off real fast. ... I walked back. Dad? What's goin on? This is all...weird..."

"I don't know Parker, this is weird alright...I have to call your mom, let her know you're ok."

Booth punched the numbers. The phone barely rang once before it was answered and the strained voice of Rebecca came through. "BOOTH!" She sobbed through the phone. " Tell me you found Parker...tell me he's...alive...please...tell me he's ok...please..."

In her home, Rebecca stood holding the phone, not breathing, rigid as a statue...

"He's ok 's right here with me and he's fine..."

Rebecca burst into tears of relief, and collapsed against the wall, slide to the floor again,then sobbed into the phone. "Let me hear him, Booth, I HAVE to hear him, and bring him home to me now, please..I have to hold him..."

Booth handed the phone to Parker, but not before cautioning him ."OK bub, with all this weirdness going on, your mom had thought something bad had happened to you, so she was upset, really REALLY upset, but she's happy now that she knows you're ok. She's crying, but it's happy crying. OK? Get it? She wants to talk to you. Be nice to her, she was really worried...OK? Got it?"

"Got it Dad. Hi mom...ya...mom...ya...I'm...ya...mom...I'm ok...mom...really...I'm ok...ya...I love you to...ya...mom...stop crying...really, I'm really ok...ok? ...ok...Dad, she wants you now." Parker handed the phone back.

"Bring my boy home..NOW!" Rebecca said.

"Well, I might not be able to bring Parker straight home, we might need to see if he has any information that could..." Booth winced and quicklly took the phone away from his ear, and Parker clearly heard her say "BOOTH! Bring my boy back to me right this F*CKING instant!"

"Yes rebecca. We'll be right there."

Booth looked at Parker and said, "I suppose any questions I need to ask you I can ask you at home...I...uh...guess you heard that huh?"

"What? Mom saying a bad word?" Parker asked.

"Ya, that." Booth said.

"Yeah I did...that was AWESOME!" Parker said with a huge grin.

Booth returned the grin, gave Parker another hug, and they got in the SUV and started for Rebecca's.

Booth drove in silence, trying to figure out what this was all about. This whole episode, getting the note, being told his son was being abducted, the fake police officers, finding Parker unharmed and not taken after all, ...it was almost as if...

Booth suddenly pulled to the side of the road and flipped open his cellphone. He started dialing Brennan's number when Parker tugged on his sleeve.

"Dad? I just remembered something."

"What Parker?"

"One of those cops guys gave me this. I'm supposed to give it to you."

Booth looked down, and saw that Parker was holding outn a small white envelope, and on it was neatly typed, "Mr. Booth". 


	6. Chapter 6

As Brennan went out the door of the diner she continued thumbing numbers into her phone, then realized she had no connection...what the hell? It always worked here before...

She was just going to turn around and go back inside to use a land line to call a cab when she saw one sitting empty right in front of the diner. That was fortuitous!

She strode up, got in the back seat, and said, "Get me to the Jeffersonian, fast!"...to no one...their was no driver.

Frustration threatened to boil over out of Brennan, and she reached for the door handle to get out when the driver's side door was wrenched open...

A large man with a ball cap pulled low over his forehead and wrap around sunglasses got in, slammed the door shut, and looked into the rearview mirror...

Then he quickly whirled around and thrust his arm out at Brennan like a snake striking at prey...

He pointed at the tip Brennan's nose and gazed threateningly at her. "Sorry lady, off duty! You need to get another cab!"

He held up a takeout bag from the diner.

"You're ON duty now! Take me to the Jeffersonian!

"Look, lady, I haven't had a bite in 10 hrs. I'm OFF duty, get out and find another cab!"

"I don't have time to argue, I'll have you know I'm a highly regarded.."

The cabbie's neck and face reddened. "I don't care if you're the freaking Queen of England! Get another cab!"

"You MUST take me..."

"I don't haveta MUST anything! GET ANOTHER CAB before I..."

"Wind up in jail for obstruction of justice!" Brennan snapped back at him, her eyes blazing blue fire.

"I work closely with the FBI and I have to get to the Jeffersonian NOW! Peoples LIVES are at stake! If you value your freedom and your lunch that highly, and you make me waste precious time calling the police..."

The cabbie just stared for a moment. He'd been a cab driver for a long, long time, and had dealt with all kinds through his years and had heard it all...and he decided this one wasn't bluffing...with a sigh he turned heavily in his seat and angrily pulled the car out into traffic...the Jeffersonian wasn't that far, and it wasn't worth the risk...he'd eat soon enough...dammit...the fries would be cold again...

He made to call in to his dispatcher that he had a fair where he was taking her...great...just what he needed...now his radio wouldn't work...he pulled out his cell to call it in that way...wtf? No signal? What the hell? 


	7. Chapter 7

Booth reached into his glovebox and pulled out some latex gloves, put them on and took the letter from Parker.  
He gingerly opened it up and read.

"As you are now realizing, Mr. Booth, your young son was not our primary target. He was merely a diversion. Our primary objective? Well, that is for you to ascertain. I'm sure a highly trained and accomplished FBI agent such as yourself will be able to unlock that mystery rather quickly."

"Be advised, it is someone you know rather well. By the time you read this, we will have this person in our possession. No harm will come to them as long as you follow our instructions. Further communications and instructions will happen at our convenience."

Booth tried and tried again but couldn't get through to Brennan.  
He gave up and called Hodgins.

"Jack! "Where are you?"

Jack said he was working late at the Jeffersonian.

Booth went on quickly. "Do me a couple favors. Call Parker's mom and tell her I'm going to be a little late with getting him home."

Booth looked over at Parker and Parker looked back and rolled his eyes and silently mouthed "Boy are YOU gonna get it!" Booth just shrugged and mouthed back, "So what else is new?"

he turned back to the phone. "Then call Hacker and get him to send a team of agents to the Jeffersonian. Some of you may be in danger. NO! NOT the local police, right now we can't trust them! I'll explain later, right now I'm heading back to the diner to pick up Bones." *I hope*, Booth thought to himself. "Get someone there to try to call Bones, I can't reach on it Jack, this is important!She may be in danger as well!"

Both threw the phone down , wheeled the SUV around and sped toward the diner.

Brennan's cab pulled into the Jeffersonian parking lot.

Brennan said, "Thank you, you did the right thing." Then she gave the exact fair to the cabbie.

The cabbie looked at the money, no tip, swore under his breath, "F*cking figures", and took off to find a quiet place to eat his lunch.

About half a block down the street, his radio squawked back to life...

Brennan tried Booth's number again, but her phone was still down.

She gave up and hurriedly headed for the building, but was surprised and even had to take a step back as a police van pulled up quickly directly in front of her.

"Dr. Brennan, can you come with us please?"

"Come with you? Why?" Brennan asked.

The cop shrugged. "Just following orders Dr. Brennan. Mr. Booth has been in contact with the station and we were ordered to pick you up. Come with us please?" The cop reached for her arm.

Brennan hesitated. Something...

She drew back a step. "Who did you say contacted you?"

"Mr. Booth. Please ma'am, he told us to hurry."

Brennan said, "He told you he was Mr. Booth?"

"Yes ma'am, now please..."

Brennan drew back another step. "He wouldn't have identified himself that way. Not in an emergency!"

The cop looked puzzled for a second, then impatiently said "Look, all I know is we're supposed to get you. Now come with us!"

"No, I'm going inside, and calling Booth myself."

"Dammit, we don't have time for this!" The cop grabbed Brennan's forearm. Hard. "Come with us bitch!  



	8. Chapter 8

Booth arrived at the diner and screamed the SUV to a stop. He said to Parker, "I'm locking the doors. NO ONE but me gets let back in, OK?" Got it?"

Parker, big eyed, silently nodded.

Booth tore inside, was only gone a moment, then came back and got in.

"She's not there?" Parker asked , worried.

"She left in a cab..."

He quickly called Hacker's number. "HACKER! Did you send a team to the Jeffersonian? And I want you to find out the company of every cab that was in a 3 block radius of the diner within the last 30 minutes, and find out if they picked up a female fair! Hurry!"

Hacker drawled, "I'm not in the habit of using federal resources to do menial work the local police are so ably trained for. Get the donut eaters to do that."

" Hacker! I can't explain now but we can't trust them. Its about Bones!"

"What about her? " Hacker asked.

"She may be in danger, get on it NOW!"

"On it! A team is on the way and I'll get that info for you! " A suddenly serious Hacker answered."

Booth hung up and said to Parker, "She'd head for the lab,looks like you're with me for a while longer."

Parker nodded silently again, and Booth sped off toward the Jeffersonian.

Half way there Hacker called back.

"I just talked to the cabbie that picked up Brennan. She was picked up at the diner about 20 minutes ago. The cabbie said he just dropped her off at the Jeffersonian. He remembered her very vividly, from his colorful and rather epithet filled 's no doubt it was her."

"Thanks Hacker. " Booth sped on.

He pulled up to the Jeffersonian, grabbed Parker, and ran inside.

He ran into Jack almost immediately.

"Jack! Is Bones here?"

Jack looked deadly serious. "No Booth...I think you should take a look at something."

"WHERE is she?"

"Come look at this." Jack led the way to the Jeffersonian's security station.

"There was a commotion outside the doors. The security cameras picked this up." a frowning Jack said.

The tape clearly showed a cap pull up, and Brennan get out and pay the fair. The cab left, and as Brennan stepped toward the building a police van pulled up, and someone got out. There was a brief verbal exchange, Brennan looked wary, and then the guy grabbed Brennan's arm roughly...

"Oh Jesus" Booth whispered... 


	9. Chapter 9

The "cop" grabbed Brennan's arm, snarled "Come with us bitch!" and pulled at her roughly.

Brennan promptly stabbed her rigid fingers into his adam's apple, then grabbed the pinkie finger of his hand on her arm, and wrenched it back. There was a wet sounding snap. He would have screamed but all that escaped his damaged throat was a gurgle, and he dropped to his knees gagging and clutching his broken hand...

Brennan took a running step toward the building, but that's as far as she got before a big set of arms wrapped themselves around her from behind. One around her chest, the other hand forcing a cloth over her face!  
"Chloroform!" Brennan's brain screamed warning.

She instantly braced her forward foot, and thrust her lower body back hard. As the side of her hip drove into the man's groin area, overbalancing him, she grabbed the arm on her chest, bent her waist sharply and quickly, , pulled on the arm and flipped the man over her shoulder, slamming him to the ground.

She kicked him in the temple, and lept over him for another try at the building. But he wasn't totally disabled, and grabbed her ankle as she stepped over him, bringing her down. Brennan, sprawled on the pavement, one leg snared, aimed a kick at his face with the other, , connected, and he was out.

She scrambled to her feet, but the first guy, still gagging, one hand limp at his side, tackled her and grabbed her blouse with his good hand, trying to bring her down again. Brennan promptly grabbed at that hand, and there was another wet snap, and the guy fell to his knees again, another broken finger angling crazily away from his hand.

As Booth was watching this all unfold on tape, he murmured "Good girl"

The "cop" gurgled a scream, and Brennan broke for the building, and was almost to the doors when the taser hit her...

Booth watched on the monitor as Brennan's body went rigid, then collapsed on the ground, spasming helplessly. The third man from the van, unseen until this time, the one who had tased her, walked over and gave her a nudge with his foot. Then he picked her up, and threw her roughly into the van. Booth watched, from the angle of the security camera, all he could see now of Brennan inside the van was part of her lower leg and foot. It looked like she was struggling to get up. The guy with the taser watched her a moment, then dispassionately and calmly hit her again with it...Booth watched as he saw Brennan's leg go rigid again, then begin spasming helplessly for what seemed like forever, then go limp...

Then the man slammed the back doors of the van shut, and he gathered up the other two men, who staggered over and got into the van, and they were gone.

Jack looked over at Booth. What he saw honestly scared him.

Booth was bent over the monitor, looking into the now empty screen. His brows were furrowed, his lips were drawn into a tight, hard line. The muscles of his jaws clenched and bulged as he ground his teeth. His body seemed like it was one huge tensely clenched knot, that threatened to explode any second. . Jack looked on, and realized Booth was actually trembling with rage.

"He'll pay for that...whoever that bastard is...he's gonna f*cking pay for that dearly." Booth snarled through his teeth.

"I'm sorry Booth, we didn't know what happened until it was all over." Jack said.

Booth looked at Jack, and Jack looked back into the face of a Booth he had never seen before.

Booth's face was set in a hard as granite scowl. . Hate boiled out of him in waves. His expression was...vengeance...vengeance was etched there. Worry for Brennan, to be sure, but also vengeance,pain and death for those who had done this to her.. The hair at the back of Jack's neck stirred.

Insanely, at that moment, all Jack could think was, "I'm some f*cking glad he's not that mad at me..."  



	10. Chapter 10

Jack, trying to control the flight response from the primitive parts of his brain caused by Booth's reactions, , was still looking at him when they both heard Hacker's breathless voice say, "We're here, where's Bre..."

Hacker never got to finish her name, as Jack watched the stone cold expression of hate on Booth's face transform to white hot fury.

"You're too LATE!" Booth snarled.

Booth was on Hacker before Hacker even saw him coming.

"IF YOU HAD COME WHEN I SAID SHE'D BE SAFE!"

Booth had Hacker by the lapels and was shaking him like rag doll. Several of the agents that came in with Hacker,all of whom knew Booth, and some who even knew him as a personal friend, had drawn their guns instinctively at Booth's sudden display of unbridled fury towards Hacker.

"Booth...I'm sorry, I was wrong to ignore your warning...I just didn't realize...I'm sorry..." Not fear of Booth, , but anguish was plain on Hacker's face. He knew he had messed up and had put someone special to all of them in mortal danger.

Booth, lips drawn back from his teeth in anger, his face an inch from Hackers, could be seen making a visible effort to control himself.

Panting, Booth slowly drew back ,and let go of Hacker, smoothed down a lapel, patted him on the chest , and still looking him in the eye, said, " I know Hacker...I know...its bad luck, that's all."

Jack and the rest looked on as a series of emotions briefly ran their way across Booth's features, fading fury, anger and fear, helplessness...then...he stood straight and took a breath.

Booth seized control of himself , and his face settled into a grim, determined, and deadly looking expression. One that Jack thought would strike more fear into whoever did this than anything that had been on Booth's face in the last few minutes if they saw it. And Jack had no doubts, knowing Booth, they'd see it all right...it might be the LAST thing they see...

Booth took a final deep Breath...then turned back to Hacker

"Hacker, take the security tapes back to the office and see if you can ID any of the men on it. They didn't have their faces covered, so there's a chance our facial recognition software will help there, if they're on any of our databases. Also take a close look at that van, and see if there's any numbers or markings that might show up on it that might give us a lead." .

Booth looked over at Hodgins.

"Jack, I want you to check that first envelope, and here's another. Call in Wendell and anyone else you might need. Check those inside and out with everything you have , hopefully there's a fingerprint or particulate that will help us out. Anything. Do it right Jack...miss nothing."

Hacker spoke up , and said, "Booth, what the hell do you think you're doing? First of all, I'm the senior officer here, you don't just start ordering me around! Second, you're way too close personally to take the lead of this case on, or to be on it at all, frankly! . Thirdly, , until we have proof that this is more than just a local matter, the FBI doesn't have jurisdiction here, its a case for the local authorities. Fourthly..."

Hacker hesitated when Booth swung his grim gaze back on him. Booth didn't say a word, just looked...

"F...fourthly...we'll get right on this..." Hacker gathered the tapes and left.

Booth leaned over the desk, looking down at the blank monitors again...one arm braced on the desk,seemingly holding him upright, the other was balled up in a big tight fist, and Booth was gnawing at a knuckle.

"What are you going to do now Booth?" Jack asked.

Booth slowly turned and looked at Jack, was quiet for a moment, then said, "I'm going to do whatever it takes Jack. I'm going to do what I do as an FBI agent, and I'm probably going to do some things I did as a soldier, some things I haven't done for a long, long time. Probably some highly illegal and painful things. But one thing you can count on...I'm going to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to get Bones back safely."

Booth suddenly stood upright, and said, "Get on those Jack. Call me the second you find anything." Then he turned and strode out of the Jeffersonian. 


	11. Chapter 11

Booth was striding, grim faced, up to the exit of the Jeffersonian.  
Suddenly from behind him he heard, "Dad...dad?...DAD!"

Booth stopped, the grimness melted away and a striken look took over his face.

"Sweet Jesus!" He swore to himself. "Parker! Oh Parker, I'm sorry, I don't know where my head is! ...With all this going on..."

"S'ok dad! I saw what happened to Dr. Bones on those TV's. You were worried... " Parker's eyes were very big, and serious looking. "They hurt Dr. Bones. Dad? Are you going to find her? Are you going to beat up the guys that did that to her?"

"I'm going to do everything I can to find her Parker," He answered earnestly. But Booth felt he had better say something parental... "But Parker, violence isn't necessarily the answer to..."

"BULLSH!T DAD!" Parker yelped." Heads all over the place turned toward them at Parker's high, clear voice , and Booth was speechless with shock.

"They HURT Dr. Bones Dad! They hurt her on purpose, and then they hurt her more, for a LONG time! I want you to beat them up dad! They're bad! I LOVE Dr. Bones and they hey hurt her and they should pay! They hurt Dr. Bones bad and they need to be beat up! I want you to GET those guys dad! Get them GOOD! "

Tears were suddenly pouring from Parker's eyes and threw himself against Booth, burying his face in Booth's shirt. Booth hugged him close, stroking the back of his head, a tear coursing down his own cheek.

"I'll get them Parker. I swear, I'll get them, they'll pay alright! And I'll get Bones back and it will be OK, I promise..."

Booth was kneeling, hugging and comforting Parker. Another tear struggled free and coursed down Booth's cheek. Booth muttered, "I'm sorry you had to see that Parker. Now listen, I have to get you back to your mom. Lets go." Booth gave Parker one more comforting hug, saying everything would be ok, then got up and led Parker out of the Jeffersonian.

Booth got an exhausted and almost asleep Parker out of the SUV and carried him to Rebecca's door.. He reached up to knock but before he could the door was ripped open and Rebecca grabbed Parker from Booth saying "Give me my baby!"

She tearfully clutched the now struggling Parker to her and kept muttering "My baby , my baby...oh my baby..."

This went on for a few moments while Booth silently watched, then finally he spoke.

"I'm sorry Rebecca, I would have had him home sooner, but things got crazy and..."

"If anything had happened to him!" Rebecca spit angrily at Booth, ...but when she saw the look on Booth's face, her tone changed.

"Booth...what's wrong? "

"Parker was in no danger...he wasn't the target...he was a diversion to get me away from her I think."

"Her?"

"They took Bones..." Booth said bleakly.

"But why?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know...this whole thing is screwy...right from the beginning it has been" Booth seemed to be talking more to himself than her.

"Booth...I'm sorry..."

"Yeah...I better get going...got some work to to find Bones.."

I'm going to put Parker to bed, he's almost out." Rebecca said. "Booth, if there's anything I can do..."

"Yeah, I'll let you know" Booth said.

Parker looked up and said "Dad! Wait! Mom...can dad tuck me in, please? I wanna talk to him."

"Baby, I think Booth has to go..."

Please mom? After dad goes you can tuck me in too, ok?"

"Deal," Rebecca said, smiling through her tears.

Booth gathered up Parker and took him to his changed into his pj's and climbed onto his bed, yawning mightily.

"The wonders of youth" Booth thought. "He'll probably sleep like a baby, even after all this."

Parker looked at Booth."Dad?"

"Yeah Parker?"

"You have to put that other face on again."

"Other face? What other face?"

"The face you had on when you watched get hurt on those TV's."

Booth looked at Parker, confused. "Parker...what?"

You have on your worried dad face now...you're worried about me I think but I'm home now and I'm safe...and that isn't the face that will save Dr. Bones. You need that mad face...that scary one...that one I saw when you shook that guy...the one that you had on when you swore at the TV's...that's the one that will work. Dr. Bones needs the scary guy now.

"Parker, I don't know what you mean."

"DAD! I'm OK! Dr. Bones isn't! You have to turn back into FBI guy! Soldier guy! ...Scary guy...and get her back. I'll be ok...you need to worry about Dr. Bones now, not me!"

"Holy crap Parker...you're amazing...and you're right..." Booth said.

"Dad?" Parker said sleepily, and then yawned hugely.

"Yes Parker?"

"Just don't put that scary face on till you leave, ok?...cause...its really scary." Parker finished, dead serious.

"You got it buddy." Booth said, and then hugged Parker feircly but gently. "Get some sleep. I've got to get busy. Bye buddy...see ya soon."

"With Dr. Bones, ok dad?" Parker said, trying to blink away sleep.

"You know it, Parker. I'll get her, no worries." But Parker had drifted off.

"Big day" Booth said, tenderness on his face.

He went out, told Rebecca that Parker was asleep. Rebecca wished Booth good luck, and he thanked her, and started to open the door to leave.

He hesitated, took a deep breath, and as he stepped out through the door,his face transformed from that worried, loving father, and he became that scary guy. That very very scary guy.

By the time he was in the SUV and driving away, he was like another person. A truly dangerous one.  



	12. Chapter 12

Booth got in his SUV and slammed the door shut. He drove off, stone faced and grim, and started driving back to the Jeffersonian in hopes Hodgins and the rest of the squints had found something... anything .

He drove for a few miles, then pulled over, shut the engine off, and took a few deep, shuddering breathes.

Panic. Immense, debilitating panic threatened to claw its way up his spine and into his brain. Panic like he'd never known before.

He'd been in combat, he'd been in extremely dangerous and high stress conditions as a sniper. He'd been in danger more than a few times as an FBI agent, and in those moments he'd always been able to suppress his emotions and fears and perform at a calm and emotionless and efficient level.  
A level that few could achieve. That's what had made him so valuable in whatever capacity he was serving, whether it be soldier, sniper, or FBI agent.

But this was different. This time he couldn't seem to get a grip on his emotions...His beloved son had been in real danger. Thank God he was ok now. But latent terror at what could have been flowed through Booth like an evil thing...  
And now Brennan. The images of her twisting and contorting from the taser attack flooded with awful vividness back into his mind. Booth involuntarily clenched his eyes shut against that image, but it was like it was happening all over again and he couldn't shut it out...

And Brennan was in danger now. If things went badly...if he didn't get to her in time or if someone made a mistake, or if the people who did this panicked and decided to get rid of her...

The thought of harm coming to Brennan...of something happening to her...that hit him suddenly like a punch in the gut. Instinctively, he wanted...needed to protect her. If that wasn't bad enough...he couldn't stop the thought even though he tried mightily not to think it...if she was taken away from him forever...Oh God...no...

The thought of never seeing her again...of never again having that stunning smile aimed at him...of never looking into those amazing eyes...the thought of never hearing her voice, or never explaining a joke to her that she didn't get...or of never touching her or being near her again...no...no...no...please...no...no no no no noooo...

Booth couldn't hold it back...he fought...but it was no good, the panic clawed its way into his mind. Spitting and snarling and tearing, it broke through his defenses and almost paralyzed him with fear.  
Sweat started out on his brow and his heart thundered in a drumbeat of despair.

"GOD DAMMIT! GOD DAMMIT! GOD DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT TO HELL!" Booth cried as he hammered the steering wheel with his fists.

"I can't lose her...oh God I can't...I can't lose her...I have to find her."

"DAMMIT" Booth cried again, unconsciously looking upward. "Don't you dare take her away from me! Don't you dare! Don't you F*CKING DARE!"

Booth sat gasping for a few more moments. He shook his head and gave a mirthless grin.

"OK, you freaking baby" He muttered to himself.  
"You've indulged yourself with a nice little tantrum, now f*cking pull yourself together and get your head straight, because you're no good to anyone blubbering like a fool. Do what you were trained for, what Bones is counting on from you now, get it together and get this done right!"

Booth took a few more breaths, and did a little mental test. Yes...he was ready now...they better be ready as well...because he was coming for them...

That scary mask descended over his features once again. It wasn't coming back off till Brennan was safe.  
He started the SUV and was just going to pull out into traffic when his cell rang.

"Booth" he answered.

"Booth? Its Jack. Get to the Jeffersonian. We've got some news."

"On my way!" Booth replied, and the SUV screamed back onto the road. 


	13. Chapter 13

Temperance Brennan drifted back to consciousness. She was laying on her back. Her eyelids fluttered and were about to involuntarily open, but just before that happened, she came to her senses enough to stop it.

She listened to her surroundings carefully. She tried to sharpen her remaining senses, force them beyond her body, to get a feel for her surroundings without letting anyone know she was awake yet.

Was there someone poised near her to do her further harm when she woke? Was she going to be raped? Tortured? Murdered? What was happening to Parker? To Booth? Her heartbeat lurched and she fought back panic.

All she could hear was the soft purr of something electrical running. A fridge? A fan? Air conditioner? Hard to tell.

Sensing nothing for now, she slowly and carefully she made an inventory of her body, seeking injuries. She started at her feet, wiggled her toes imperceptibly, and worked her way up from there, tensing muscles on thigh, abdomen, arms, neck etc. Other then a slight burning on her belly just to the right of her navel(the taser) and a few minor aches, there was nothing, no major injuries that she could tell.

She was slightly groggy and light headed...apparently after the tasing she had been drugged...why?...other than that she seemed unharmed.

She slowly flattened her hand beside her hip, and spread her fingers out, and touched whatever she was laying on. Her brows knit ever so slightly in confusion. Soft...smooth...warm to the touch...actually enjoyable to feel...satin? No...silk...had to be silk...she slide her hand back and forth experimentally...judging from the feel...the highest grade of silk sheets...what the hell? On a rather deep and comfortable mattress, if she wasn't mistaken.

She brought her hand to her hip, as slowly and carefully as she could, and felt there...damn...silk again... pajamas? maybe a nightie? She rubbed her thighs together slightly...pj's...silk pj's...  
Someone had apparently gone after Booth's son, then assaulted her visciously, kidnapped her, only to lay her on silk sheets and dress her in the best silk pj's? ? How insane was this situation, and how insane her abductors? That thought terrified her...whoever this was might be highly volatile and unpredictable...

Her breathing remained slow and steady, her eyes closed, but inside Brennan was very afraid...the terror for herself and and worry for Parker and Booth, and who knows, maybe all her other loved ones...threatening to overwhelm her...however she knew she needed to keep her wits about her, so she fought it down.

She didn't sense or hear anyone in the room, just that soft electrical sounding purr...so she decided to carefully open her eyes and take a look around...

She cracked her lids open ever so slightly...and looked up at a ceiling...a clean, white ceiling, from which hung a rather opulant looking ceiling fan/lighting fixture arrangement... that soft electrical purr emanated from there as the fan slowly stirred the warm and comfortable air of the room she was in...

Somehow despite the silk sheets, she had expected some sort of dingy, cobwebbed laced dungeon style ceiling...but not this...strange...

She chanced a turn of her head...and was amazed to see, as she looked around her, a very well appointed room...it seemed almost like she was in the best 5 star hotel...hell...5 star plus...7 star maybe...the furniture and other appointments around the room looked like nothing but the best...

The bed she lay on was a huge four poster, and she was not only laying on, but also covered in silk sheets.

She sat up and looked around her...gazing around the room...no...rooms...she realized. There was an adjoining bathroom, equally well appointed from what she could see from here, and a small kitchen with top of the line appliances and...was that granite counter tops? No...marble..wow...

"Well", she thought wryly, "At least the bastard who took me has good taste...expensively good taste..."

She decided to get up...looked like no point in playing possum now...and swung to a sitting toes sank into deep sumptuous carpeting. She couldn't help wriggling her toes into it. Nice.

She noticed a curtained window on the wall opposite the bed. "OK, might as well get the lay of the land." she thought.

"Probably looks out into some sicko's basement, or there will be nothing but a brick wall, or maybe a nice view of this bastard's torture chamber..."

She crossed the room silently, still, despite herself and the dangerous situation, enjoying the feel of the gorgeous carpeting under her feet.

She reached the window, grasped the curtains, took a deep breath to steady herself for what she might see, whipped the curtains open...and gasped aloud.

She couldn't believe her own eyes at what she saw... 


	14. Chapter 14

Brennan stared in disbelief.

She expected to see...well...she wasn't sure what she expected to see, but what met her gaze was totally beyond anything she had thought she'd see.

Stretching away below her window was a deep valley. The first impression Brennan got was one that she was at a very high altitude. Amazingly high, to be in such warm splendor. She looked back into the room she was in, almost expecting it to be some sort of mirage that would disappear, or that it would indeed turn out to be some grimy dungeon, that maybe her mind had tricked her into seeing that luxurious room as some sort of protection mode...

But no...it stayed real, in unwavering opulence.

She looked out again. Yes, very high...above the tree line...even above the snow line...she watched as crystals of snow swirled away from the roof above, driven by a frigid wind. She looked out over the valley, that seemed to stretch down thousands and thousands of feet,so far she really couldn't make out details of what lay below. It stretched away and away into the distance almost as far as the eye could see, to meld with huge mountains that seemed to stretch off to the horizon. . Wherever they were, it was smack in the middle of some mountain range, and this place, whatever it was, was perched on the side of one of those mountains.

Impossibly high. It must have cost millions upon millions and a huge effort to build this here, Brennan mused to herself, as she tried to follow the snaking, switchback road that lead away from this place, down the dangerous heights. It disappeared from her sight long, long before it got to the bottom. How high were they? Impossible to gauge. Very high.

Brennan stood looking for some time at the breathtaking and still hard to believe view, then she shook her head, still confused by all of this.

She turned from the window and looked over her room again...that's when she noticed the envelope sitting on the night table beside the bed. The same type as she had been handed in the diner.

She gazed around the room, slowly and carefully. No cameras, as far as she could tell. A huge fireplace, kindling and firewood stacked neatly beside it. No pokers or other of the usual fireplace utensils. Understandable. Two doors, one probably a closet, the other possibly leading out. Closed. Likely locked.

Brennan padded over, and confirmed her thought. No surprise there.

"OK, fine",she thought, "I guess I'll have to play along, lets see what Mr. Mysterious Kidnapping Bastard wants now."

She padded silently over and picked up the envelope, and opened it.

There, rather than typing, she saw bold, strong, and rather beautiful penmanship. The letter was hand written.

"Dear Dr. Brennan. First of all, my most humble apologies for the unfortunate turn things took in getting you here. You were not to be harmed in any way. Unfortunately my "associates" bungled the job badly in their impatience. Be assured...that indescretion will be punished in due time."

"Secondly, let me immediately lay your fears to rest about your friends. The boy, Parker, is unharmed and with his was merely a diversion to separate you and Mr. Booth. I guessed correctly that either one of you on your own would be difficult enough to manage. The two of you together would have been formidable separation was you here, was necessary. The physical distance between you now, , and time it will take Mr. Booth to get here, was all necessary. In time, you will understand why.

Further, none of your other friends are in any danger whatsoever. I have no interest in them and they will come to no harm from me.

Mr. Booth is healthy, and unharmed, and if I guess correctly, likely on his way to you as you read this. "

A wave of relief swept through Brennan as she read that. But then, why her? She read on.

"You also will not be harmed in any way . Other than your freedom being , shall we say, curtailed somewhat, for a brief time. You will not be able to leave this suite, for your protection as well as our own. You have proved yourself a worthy adversary. I want neither you nor any more of my men damaged."

" Rest assured, everything you need is provided for you here. Your privacy is also are cameras, however, they watch all exits from this room from the outside. I am no voyeur, Dr. Brennan. That is not what this is all about.

The kitchen is fully stocked , including your favorite dishes...all vegetarian, of course. The bath, I think you will find, is anything and everything you might desire. The bed and other furniture, the best money can buy. You will, despite your initial shock, enjoy everything here, I am confident of that. "

"I am sorry that this is the way things must be done. I am sorry for any mental anguish or physical pain any of you or your friends and colleagues may suffer or have suffered. I truly believe it is and was necessary, and unavoidable. But I think you will see, in time, that all of this was the right thing to do."

"Please enjoy your stay Dr. Brennan. Relax, and consider this something of a vacation. One , you might admit to yourself, you badly need."

The letter was unsigned. Brennan was just as mystified and confused as before, but at least, if this letter was true, everyone she held dear was OK. And for some reason she couldn't fathom, , she did believe that.

She walked back to the window, and looked out over the bleak, terribly beautiful view, and wondered, "Who is this, that has gone to such lengths to bring me here? And what the hell was this all about?"

She stood, awestruck and confused, and continued to gaze through the window as snow began to whip in sheets from the darkening sky. 


	15. Chapter 15

Booth skidded to a stop outside the Jeffersonian, and then strode quickly inside.

Hodgins was working at his station, Wendell by his side. Wendell glanced up, frowned, then elbowed Jack and whispered, "Here comes Booth."

Jack glanced up and actually did a double take. At his first glance his brain didn't register the face he was seeing as his friend, Seeley Booth. Jack looked again, and thought he had never seen such a grim visage in his life.

Again, it made goose flesh sweep over his body. This Booth was downright scary.

Booth came up to Jack and with no preamble said,"What do you have Jack?"

Jack stood , and said "Well, we went through the first envelope that Brennan was handed at the restaurant. Other than both your prints, and a third set of prints, there's nothing. I ran every test I could devise, but its just a basic set of stationary you can pick up at any store all across the country. I got nothing from it."

"What about the third set of prints?" Booth growled.

"Nothing Booth, I'm sorry. Whoever handed that to Brennan isn't on any of our databases, police, FBI, or on Interpole's, or any other that I could lay my hands on."

"The other envelope and letter?"

"Well, that's a different story." Jack said. "I was prepared to run the same battery of tests, y'know, ultraviolet, infrared, mass spec, dust for prints, everything. But I did what I always do first..."

"And that is?" Booth bit off impatiently.

"I eyeballed it. I touched it, I handled it, even through gloves you can sometimes get clues the eye can't see. And...I smelled it...and I noticed something."

"And that was?" Booth snapped again.

"Vinegar." Jack said.

"Vinegar?" Booth repeated.

"Yeah, vinegar. At first I thought, maybe you had gotten your greasy fingers on it from fries at the diner, and maybe you had vinegar on them from the fries."

Booth went even grimmer, and Jack hurried on..."But no, that wasn't it."

"Then what?" Booth ground out.

"Invisible ink." Jack simply said.

What?" Booth asked. "What? Invisible ink? What does that have to do with...OH!...vinegar!"

"Its the oldest one in the books. You scribble some vinegar on a paper, and it dries and is virtually invisible to the eye. But you heat it...and the letters turn brown."

"Vinegar" Booth muttered to himself. "But that's so..."

"Obvious. Clumsy. Amaturish. It can only mean one thing", said Hacker from over Booth's shoulder.

Booth looked at Hacker. "And that is?"

"Whoever's behind this, either doesn't mind you finding them,, or WANT"S you to find them."

Booth nodded grimly, considering this. Strange...this whole thing, damn strange...

Hacker went on. "Booth, the guys that took Brennan, we went over the tapes. The first two guys out of the van, we can't ID. But the guy that tasered Brennan, he's well known to us. He's Russian."

"KGB?" asked Booth.

Nothing so dark and He's ex Russian military, not espionage. Regular armed forces. He specialized in security and detention. Now he's a freelance security consultant for the rich and famous. He's known to be ruthless, cold, and efficient. He's also an expert in self defense and weapons. He's been in some trouble with law enforcement in various countries, mostly for going overboard protecting his clients. They always managed to get him off. Money talks, the rich and their pets walk. Anyway, A couple of years ago this guy dropped off the grid. Just disappeared. Till now."

"Who is he,and what's his name." Not a question, a demand from Booth.

Hacker came forward and punched at Hodgins computer keyboard. A face came on the screen. Age-wise maybe mid forties. Humorless, handsome, and scarred. Short cropped blond hair, icy blue eyes, slightly crooked nose, likely broken at some point. Thick neck, broad shoulders. Formidable.

Booth leaned over the monitor, gazing intently, memorizing every detail. He'd rearrange that yes, that face would be even more scarred and humorless when he was done. His right hand balled into an iron fist. His knuckles ached to make contact with that nose. Crush it. Break his face. His neck.

"Booth. Booth?" Hacker nudged him.

Booth realized his fist and arm were quivering, his knuckles white. . He opened his hand and flexed it.

Hacker went on. "Viktor Antonov is his real name. Speaks several languages including flawless English. When he came West and started working for rich Western European and American clients, he changed his name to Vic Anton. Mostly he's known as simply Anton."

" Booth, this guy is no secret to anyone. He pops up and police radar around the would go on alert. That, combined with that note, and its obvious whoever is doing this is leading you to a trap of some 's got to be."

Booth glowered at Hodgins. "What's the "secret" note say Jack." Again, not a question, another demand.

"Its just a series of numbers. We're trying to make sense of them right now. Along with a short note. "Go alone" "

"I got it! They're GPS coordinates." Wendell piped up. "Downtown here in Washington, in the business district. . A bank."

"Booth" Jack said. "You're being led."

"I know that Jack! But I have no me the numbers and I'll go there. Alone."

"But Booth, it could be dangerous!" Hacker protested.

"I doubt it. What can they do there? With a high police presence, security guards, cameras, crowds? No, maybe I am being led, but they don't mean to do anything to me there. Not yet, anyway. Its just another step in whatever this crazy situation is. ... Wendall? Those numbers."

Wendell repeated the numbers to Booth, who wrote them in his notebook, and turned to leave.

Booth, as he turned, received a dizzyingly hard slap to the face, and Angela, tears streaming down her face, screamed at Booth over and over again, , "You bastard. You bastard! YOU BASTARD!" 


	16. Chapter 16

Angela made another wild swing at Booth. He caught her arm before the slap landed.

"Angela, what the hell?"

"You bastard, its your fault! She's my best friend! I'm so scared! You have to save her! How can you be so calm? Why'd they take HER?You bastard! This is because of you! Somehow this is because of YOU! " Angela tried to pull free, but Booth gripped both her shoulders and dragged her away from everyone else.

Angela, tear streaked and hysterical, pummeled Booth's chest with her fists.

"You bastard you bastard you..."

Booth shook her till her teeth chattered.

"Angela! ANGELA! Get hold of yourself!"

Angela collapsed onto the chest she had just pummeled, burying her face there, incoherent, crying uncontrollably. Booth just held her and let her go for a moment.

Finally Angela pulled back and looked up at Booth. "I'm sorry, Booth, I'm so sorry...I'm crazy with worry, she's my best friend, I love her, and I...I try not to think about what might be happening to her but I can't stop it! I can't! Oh God! " Angela crushed into Booth's chest again.

She hitched and lurched from crying, then drew back again.

"Booth...how...how are you holding it together. How can you be so calm about this? Is this just another case for you? Another puzzle to solve? You don't even look...I thought you'd be...how can you be so...so calm?..Don't you love her too?"

"Angela" Booth growled. "This isn't just another case or puzzle to solve. This isn't some game or manly challenge. This is...she...Bones..." Booth took a deep breath, as a look of realization crossed his face. .

"Angela, she means everything to me..." The grimness on Booth's face softened. "Angela..." Booth shook her again, gently this time, as if to punctuate what he was saying to her. "Ang, you have to know I'd do anything...everything...to bring her back. ANYTHING! But I can't fall to pieces and get that done. I want to, God knows, inside I'm as scared and worried as you are, but I have to bottle that up, I have to bury it for now. What I have to do, what Bones needs me to do, is hold it together, and use all my skills to bring her back."

"Bones. Safely home. That's my number one concern, NOT figuring this out, NOT solving a case, not even revenge for what they did to her already. Her safely in my arms is what I want more than anything in the world. You have to know that."

"I do Booth...I do...I'm sorry...I lost it...they sent copies of the tapes to us here, I guess in hopes we could help ID those guys...and when I saw what happened...God...how could they?...and I've been so worried since I found out, and then I saw you so calm and cool...and I just...it was like you didn't even care about her...it looked like all you wanted was to get that guy...like you weren't even worried about Bren...I don't know..." Angela shook her head...the it was her turn to take a deep breath.

"I see what you mean Booth...I'm no help to anyone falling to pieces like that..I'm so sorry...but I want to help, in any way possible...so I'll do it too...I'll put that crazy lady you just saw in a cell, lock her away, and try to use my head instead of letting my emotions run wild. ." Angela sniffed and looked up at Booth and smiled bravely.

"Angela...you running wild is what makes you YOU. Don't ever change. Just...see if you can hold it back enough next time so you don't take a swing at me. You pack quite a wallup..." Booth rubbed his cheek ruefully.

"Now...Ang..."...Grimness slide down over Booth's face again. "I have to go. You stay close to Jack, in case he needs ? I have to go." Booth started to leave again.

"Ok Booth" Angela said, as she wiped a tear away with the back of her fist, and made her way to Jack's side. Booth looked back in time to see Jack's arm encircle Angela . "That's what she needs more than anything right now, Jack. Holding her."

Booth left the Jeffersonian, intent on the next step of this bizarre game, but also keenly aware that as soon as he saw Jack holding Angela, his own arms ached to hold Brennan... 


	17. Chapter 17

Booth drove to the location indicated by the GPS. It was indeed a bank. Why the hell was he sent here?

He exited the SUV and stood, trying to take everything in all at once, his eyes everywhere. As far as he could tell, everything was normal.

He went inside, showed his FBI ID to a security guard, and asked for the manager.

The manager came out, and when Booth identified himself, the manager said, "Hello, Oh yes, Mr. Booth, we've been expecting you."

When Booth was referred to as "" by the manager, his hackles rose. Booth stepped up, nose to nose with the bank manager, and snarled "Why did you call me that? What do you know?"

The manager flinched backward, confused and startled. "I...we were told you'd be dropping by today."

"By WHO?"

"By a Mr. Smith, a John Smith. Has a rather large account here."

And you believed that someone with the name JOHN SMITH was a real person?" Booth said.

"No reason not to." The manager said hurriedly. "When he opened the account and bought the safety deposit box, everything was in order."

"Safety deposit box? Account? When was this?"

"A week ago. This is for you.."

The manager handed over a key.

"What's this?" Booth asked.

"Its a key." The manager said stupidly.

"I KNOW that, what's it for?"

"S..safety deposit box. Mr. Smith indicated you, and ONLY you were to be given that key. Number of the box is on it . Follow me. "

The manager anxiously and with visible relief stepped away from Booth, and led him into a vault, lined with deposit boxes.

"There is the box to that key." he pointed to it, then unlocked it from the wall and handed it to Booth .  
"You can examine the contents at this table. I'll give you some privacy." The manager skittered out of the vault with great haste.

Booth stood looking at the box in question. He stepped up to the table, laid it there, , inserted the key, and unlocked it. He hesitated just a moment, then opened the box.

Inside there was nothing. Nothing, except for a small white envelope.  



	18. Chapter 18

"Jesus" Booth muttered as he looked at the envelope. . "I'm getting so sick of seeing those things."

Booth sighed and took latex gloves and an evidence bag from his pocket. Probably this letter was devoid of clues as well, but no sense being clumsy about evidence now.

Booth carefully opened the envelope and looked at the neatly typed letter inside.

"Mr. Booth. Dr. Brennan is safe and alive, of that you have my promise. She is very well and despite some unfortunate rough handling, is unhurt and comfortable, and she has been led to believe she is safe from harm."

"She will remain that way so long as you follow my instructions. More of those will be forthcoming."

That was all, except for one more thing.

There was a space with no writing, then, standing on its own near the bottom of the page, two words.

They said, "Pink Mountain."

"Pink Mountain?" muttered Booth, confused. "Pink Mountain?" It must have been the strain he was under...the stress...but Booth felt a chuckle building in his gut.

"Pink Mountain?" he said aloud.

If anything he had expected something that sounded more...tough...maybe...supervillian like. Eagle Heights... . Dragon's Claw... Pirate's Peak... Mount Danger... Big Freaking Scary Mountain.  
But ...PINK Mountain?

Under the circumstances, the obsurdity of that name struck Booth as almost hilarious...but he'd laugh about that later. He replayed Temp's abduction in his mind again. That, and the thought of Brennan in danger, crushed the chuckle. Nothing was funny at the moment.

He dialed Hodgins cell, and said, "Jack? I got another note. I'm going to give you an address...meet me there in 20 minutes." Booth told Jack the address, then flipped his phone shut. He bagged the letter, took the gloves off, and grimly walked out of the bank.

Jack flipped his phone shut as well.

Angela said "Was that Booth? Does he have any news?"

I dunno...he just wants me to meet him somewhere. He gave the address...I better get go.."

"I'm going to." Angela stated.

"Ang, NO! Booth didn't say what this is about! It might be dangerous, he didn't say to bring anyone, just me...I don't know...I...he...its..."

Jack faltered as Angela folded her arms and gave him a withering look and arched an eyebrow...the LEFT eyebrow...oh no...the left eyebrow...well...there was never any arguing with the left eyebrow...

Jack sighed as he caved and said "OK, lets go...just...stay behind me when we get there. "

"Gladly" Angela said. "If there is any danger and you scream that high pitched scream of yours, it'll be less piercing to me that way."

Jack just rolled his eyes and lead the way to his car.

He drove through town. Then pulled into a what looked like a warehouse area. He pulled around a corner and saw a long narrow avenue lined on both sides along its length with garage doors. A self storage area.

Jack saw Booth's SUV parked about 3/4 of the way down. He pulled up to it and he and Angela got out, and they saw the garage door beside Booth's SUV was partly open.

Jack walked up and knocked on it. "Booth? You in there?"

"Yeah Jack, come in, I just got here. Hi Ang." Booth said as he pulled the door up.

Jack looked into the dim interior, which was filled with boxes of various sizes, and a curtain that sectioned off the the back of the storage room.

"Booth said, "Hang on guys, I'll be right back. Booth disappeared behind the curtain for a few minutes. In the meantime Jack started to take a look around. Most of the boxes were labelled with such nondescropt titles as "books" "Records" "Dishes" "Lamps." Was Booth planning on building a house sometime and saving this stuff for that?

Booth returned, still grim faced, from behind the curtain, and his FBI style suit was gone. In its place was a pair or military issue camo pants, and boots. Up top Booth was wearing a skin tight black and sleeveless Under Armour shirt. Booth walked out front, scanned up and down, back and forth, then closed the door. The interior electric lights were on, providing dim light.

Booth opened a box, and pulled out a handled case from it. He lay it on a table in the center of the storage room, opened the case, and pulled out parts of what looked like a rifle. He started assembling them, and started talking as he did. His hands expertly assembled, checked, field stripped, checked, cleaned, and reassembled the weapon as he spoke. "Jack, I need you to find some stuff out for me. There's a box of latex gloves. take some...Here." Jack slipped a glove on as Booth indicated an envelope laying on the table. . "Same deal as before, check it thoroughly, and find out where a place called Pink Mountain is, OK?"

Angela spoke up hoarsly. "Its in Canada. British Columbia Canada. Sort of central northern British Columbia canada. Its...yeah...in Canada."

Jack and Booth looked at Angela, Booth, awaiting more info. Jack, with confusion.

Angela realized she was on the verge of babbling, and clamped her mouth shut for a moment to collect herself.

She also felt guilty. Her best friend was in danger...maybe harmed, for all she knew. She herself was worried beyond reason, thay all were. Jack was standing right there for god's sake! . And she was horny! God help her, she was horny!

Booth, with that look on his face, that intensity. And those clothes! That form hugging shirt over that wonderful torso,the way he tore that weapon apart and put it back together with hardly a glance at it. Those big arms and shoulders flexing with each movement, the way he was standing now, the butt of the rifle perched on his hip and the barrel pointing at the ceiling like some huge hard...oh god! The easy animal grace of his stance...that whole little episode was the hottest thing she had ever seen in her life. .

She shook her head...and cleared her throat...she'd owe Jack an apology...she's give him all the apology he could stand, but that was for later...after...she felt guilty again...when she did apologize to Jack she might think about...oh shit! Stop this! Even mentally she was babbling. she had to speak...

"I...uh...know that place..."

She was speaking at Jack, for some reason she wouldn't look at Booth now.

"Uh...been near there...on vacation a long time ago...never forgot that name, Pink Mountain."

"Can you point it out on a map?" Booth asked, as he checked out pistols, knives... was that a grenade?

"BOOTH!" Jack sputtered. "What the hell? Why...how...what do you have this...this...ARMORY for?"

Booth stopped and looked around himself. "The right to bear arms. Look, I'll explain sometime Jack, but not now. Right now I have to get to Canada...to this...Pink Mountain."

"Booth, in this day and age, how are you going to get across the continent and across the border, even the Canadian border,armed like a SWAT team? You can't go on a commercial flight, driving will take too long,and I doubt Hacker will risk FBI involvement in this."

Booth, for the first time, looked stumped. "I...I'll...fuck...I'll walk...i'll crawl if I have to...I have to get there...I HAVE to..."

"Booth...calm down, I'll get you a plane."

"You Jack, but ...how?"

"I'm rich, remember?I got this plane."

"Plane?" booth said.

"Well, jet really."

"Jet?" Angela said. "Since when?"

"Well. couple years."

"And...why didn't you mention that?" Angela's left eyebrow started to arch.

Jack looked panicky and said quickly,"BECAUSE! Because...I was getting my license to fly it...which I got...and I was going to surprise you."

"You have a jet.." Booth said.

"A jet." Angela said.

"Yeah, a jet." said Hodgins.

"Uh..what kind of jet." Booth asked.

"OH! Its a Gulfstream G-V!"

"Which means?" Angela prodded.

"Its the same one they fly on Criminal Minds!" Jack said enthusiastically.

"That's why you bought it?" asked Angela.

"Yes..well...not entirey...I bought it cause it looks cool!"

Booth said, "So, you can fly that thing?"

"Yeah, I'm actually pretty good, top of my class."

"To Canada...undetected"

"Sure" Jack said. "Mountains make it easy. Fly to Seattle, maybe Vancouver Washington. Take off from there, shut off the jet's transponder, fly inland, , , follow the mountain valleys north at low altitude...I can get us there..."

"Jack, you know if you do this, you'll be filing a fake flight plan...you'll likely lose your plane, your license,be fined...might even face jail time if we get caught."

Jack shrugged. "I'd do anything for you looked from Booth to Angela. "Anything."

Angela had changed her mind...Jack, just now, was the sexiest thing she had ever seen. She stepped up to him, slithered her arms around him, and arched an eyebrow. "God, I love you Jack." she cooed.

Jack smiled and thought, "Wow, right eyebrow, I'm doing good..."

Booth looked at them, and said, "Saddle up. We're going to Canada."


	19. Chapter 19

"Where exactly is this place Angela?" Hodgins asked her.

"Jeeez, a long way. I was just along for the ride. I didn't take notes.I think I slept most of the way there. we were partying a lot and..."

"Who'd you go with? When was it? How'd you get there? Why there...?" Jack asked rather pointedly.

"Look, it was when I was in college. I had some rich friends, whose dad's like to hunt and fish, and they'd go ANYWHERE for the right game. That was one place they went. They invited us along. It sounded fun at first, but it was kinda boring, except for some of my friends I was there with...uh..." Angela thought to herself maybe she should gloss over some of the details, and just stick to what facts Jack needed to know. .

"I just remembered the name, because, y'know, Pink Mountain..."

"Why do they call it that?" Jack asked. "Is it the color of the rock? Or maybe the way the light hits it? Or maybe..."

"Beats me." said Angela. "I never left the room I was staying in..."

She suddenly realized this subject was not a good one at all... Jack was looking more and more peeved.

"Maybe we can find the place on a map, or maybe Google Earth. When we get back to our place.."

Booth tossed what looked like a military issue, ruggedized laptop on the table.

"Go ahead, the quicker the have to get there. FAST!"

Angela sighed in relief as Jack's attention was diverted to finding where this place was.

He stared at the screen as he typed and searched, typed and searched some more. Then he whistled, muttered "Jeeeeez" and looked up at Booth.

"Booth...you may have to wait a little before we leave."

Booth, sitting on a box a tearing down a handgun, shot Jack a nasty look."We don't have time to wait! We have to get going NOW!"

"Booth, I don't think you realize some of the distances we may have to travel."

"How far can it be? Its only up in Canada, its not like its the North Pole or anything!" Booth said impatiently.

"Jesus Booth...it almost is! British Columbia is three times the size of California! And we have to go across the continent just to START going there!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Booth yelled, suddenly nose to nose with Jack. ." We're leaving just as soon as we can loaded up and take off!

"Booth! No we're NOT!" Jack yelled back at Booth, not backing down an inch.

"JACK!" Booth yelled again, pressing forward.

"BOOTH, Listen to me!" Jack yelled back, still not giving ground.

"When you were in the forces you didn't go into unknown territory without checking out the place, as well as the course to and from, and making some sort of plan for the routes there and back! I'm not trying to fly hundreds of miles at low altitude through mountainous country without planning some sort of ROUTE first! What good are we going to do Brennan if we end up so much strawberry jam smeared on the side of a mountain?

"Getting to the west coast is no big deal, I could do that in my sleep! Going three quarters of the way up the length of B.C. normally wouldn't be too big an issue in my jet, it has plenty of range, , but we're gonna try to fly up there unnoticed. Low...through valleys and around mountains...I have to plan it first, or we'll never make it!

"JACK!" Booth growled.

"NO Booth! No way! Its this way or not at all!"

Booth sat, tense and trembling with intensity, grimness lining his features.

. "Besides, Booth," Jack said more quietly. "The wait and the long trip there will give you lots of time to plan what to do when you get there. Get the lay of the land and all that other soldiery stuff you do..."

Booth nodded, and admitted, "You're right Jack, you're right. I'm sorry. Its just that I can't stand the thought of Bones being in danger, and I HAVE to get to her as soon as I can...I HAVE to..."

Jack walked over and put his hand on Booth's shoulder reassuringly. "Booth, you have to know, I'll get you there just as soon as humanly possible. I just have to do it to GET there, not ALMOST get there"

Booth patted the hand on his shoulder, nodded, and looked up at Jack. "OK, you win...just...get it done as soon as you ? "

"OK". Jack started to turn back to the computer, but Booth gripped his hand and said, "Jack?"

"Yeah Booth?"

"I never realized how good a friend you are to us. Thank you so much Jack."  
Then Booth released him turned back to reassembling his weapon.

Jack nodded silently, watched Booth for a moment, then turned back to the computer.

Angela, silent through the whole exchange, was amazed, surprised, shocked, and so turned on by this suddenly strong and steadfast and damn...downright brave, version of Jack she was now seeing, that she couldn't believe it.

After this was all over, and hopefully everyone was OK, and when they got back home safe and sound, she wouldn't let Jack out of the bedroom for a freaking week!

She walked up and bent down to the laptop beside Jack, throwing an arm lovingly over his shoulder, and trying to help him plan how they'd get to Pink Mountain.


	20. Chapter 20

After perusing around on Google Earth and other maps and websites for another 10 or 15 minutes, Jack looked up at Booth and said, "Booth, me and Ang are going to go back to our place to pick up some clothes and do more research on our flight plan.I'll have to dig into aeronautical and topographical maps so I can plan this out properly."

"The Gulfstream I have is one of the longest range private jets you can get, it'll fly over 6000 miles before refueling is needed, so we shouldn't have to worry once we leave Seattle or Vancouver or where ever about having enough to get where we're going. All that crap shouldn't be a problem, but I'm still worried about going into Canadian air space and how we'll pull that off, because as soon as we drop off the radar and shut our transponder off, word will go out and everyone may start looking out for us. Its gonna be dicey no matter how we try to do this."

Booth stopped what he was doing and looked thoughtful for a moment.  
"Radar" he repeated absently..

Booth got up, grabbed a paper and pencil, and jotted some things down on it.

"Here" Booth said. "Use this, it should help. And take that laptop and use it, its safer than using your own computer."

Jack looked down at a series of words and numbers.

"What is all this Booth?"

"Type those in, and it'll give you displays and info of military and civilian radar installations and their sweep areas and ranges for all of North America. Out there, in those vast, low populated areas, there have to be gaps...'

"And this?" Jack asked, hefting the laptop.

"Its encrypted, coded, and just about anything else you can do to make it invisible. It can't be traced off the internet. You should be able to surf around just about any data base safely, especially with what I just gave you. . We may have to poke around some military installation's computer networks if we need more info than just their radar sweeps. There are other methods of observation than just radar. We want to get up there to B.C. unexpectedly, on OUR time table for a change, and whoever this is, he's powerful, and I'm not sure who to trust, other than you guys. He's had us running around in circles, probably to give him time to get up there with Bones."

"Jesus Booth, what the hell? Are you a freaking spy or something?" Jack asked. All his conspiracy theory nerve endings were a-tingle.

Booth just looked at him for a long moment. "Get going I'll explain, but now's not the time...just go get what you need, and get back here asap."

"But Booth, how do you know this "Pink Mountain" is where this guy is?" Jack said. "How do you know that's where Brennan is? This might be some weird plan to waste more time, and get us running around again!" Jack looked around the storage unit. "At this point, I'm ready to believe anything. Maybe this has something to do with you, and all this!" Jack waved his arm around at the room.

"Jack...no...there's no way whoever this is could know about this, or me, or my life, , beyond what you and the normal world see's. Trust me. Don't go all "We're all out to get you" on me Jack. Just go and do what you have to, and get back here. I'm going to lock up here and shut down my place,and let Rebecca and Parker know I have to leave for a while, then I'm coming back here and loading up what I think I'll need... I think by that time, if this guy's pattern persists, he'll manage to get another set of "instructions" to me somehow. Now go. Meet me back here as soon as you can, then we'll get everything to your plane."

"Jet" Jack said.

"OK,Jack, its a jet... Now GO!"

Jack took a long look at Booth, then said, "I'll take whatever is coming to me Booth, if this all goes south on us and we end up in jail. But gosh...I don't want to just "disappear".I don't want to put Ang in that type of danger. I hope this isn't some spook operation that is beyond any laws and will endanger all of us beyond what is reasonable. I'm trusting you Booth."

"Don't worry Jack, jail is all you'll get, or possibly death by a mountain in the teeth, but you won't just disappear, ok?" Booth said and patted Jack on the shoulder gently. .

Angela shook her head. . "Some pep talk, Booth, you might want to practice on that that a little. C'mon Jack, , lets go get some necessities."

Jack took another look around the unit, looked at Booth hard one more time, then they left.

Booth packed his weapons away, went out, securely locked the storage unit, then headed off to his place.

When he got there, he saw it right away. He wasn't even surprised. Wedged in his door frame, right at eye level so he wouldn't miss it, was a small white envelope. 


	21. Chapter 21

Booth slowly walked up and again slipped on some gloves, and plucked the envelope from the door jamb.

Inside was another typed note.

"Mr. Booth. By now you may have ascertained just where Pink Mountain is, and that it is indeed a real place, and are probably wondering if that remote location is where I am holding Dr. Brennan. Ah, Mr. Booth, not exactly. I don't plan on revealing my exact location to you until the very last moment .I don't think it advisable to let you know too soon, there is the worry that you may bring the Canadian authorities into this situation, or quite possibly some group of your "friends" that may be more then a little dangerous. No, Mr. Booth, something like that would be very unfortunate, and not at all advisable. For the continued health of Dr. Brennan, you must continue to follow my instructions."

"I'm going to assume that your co-worker and friend, Dr. Hodgins will offer to fly you here. Yes, I know all about him and his new jet powered toy, and I also know, probably better than he, up until now, how loyal a friend he would be to you. You will receive further instructions when you get to his plane."

"Jet." Booth snarled. "Its a JET, you bastard!"

Booth was sick of this situation. Of being led by the nose like some dumb for now, he saw no other course of action.

He had been ready to pounce on this Pink Mountain location, all guns blazing, to save Bones, but he realized he had assumed too much, and was going off half cocked. He needed to calm down, and keep following these damned instructions, and hope somewhere along the line, hopefully before it was too late, whoever was doing this slipped up and made a mistake Booth could capitalize on.

He still planned on taking a sh*tload of "surprises" from his storage unit for this guy. He hoped somewhere along the line he'd get to use some of them on him. Oh how he hoped for that.

Booth flipped open his phone, and called Jack's cell.

"Jack, Booth here. Slight change of plan. Don't bother going back to the self storage area. Go straight to your pla...uh...jet...and I'll meet you there. I'll tell you more when I get there. I'll swing by the storage unit and pick up what I might need, so I'll be there after you get there. Wait for me. I shouldn't be too far behind you. "

Booth flipped his phone shut, and went to get his things together.

Jack and Angela entered their place, and quickly packed what clothes and items they thought they might need.

Angela watched Jack surreptitiously as they got their things together. Jack was unlike his usual joking, cocky, smartass self . Now, he was grim, silent, focused, energized, and so f*cking hot she could hardly stand it. Despite the situation, despite everything, Angela was fighting the urge to throw him on the bed and f*ck him unconscious. She tried, she felt so guilty for feeling that way, and she tried to fight it off...

Jack had just finished packing a duffel bag when his cell rang. He answered, listened, said "OK, will do" and hung up. He looked at Angela and said, "We're supposed to go straight to my jet, Booth will meet us there, he said he may be a bit late, but he'd be there asap. ...Angela? "

Angela just couldn't help herself. "So...we'll have some time to kill?"

Jack picked up the duffel bag, and pondered a moment..."Well...maybe 20 minutes, he's gonna go back to the...Angela? You OK?"

"Jack...this could be dangerous...some of us...all of us...might die..."

"Honey, don't think that way, we'll be OK, you'll see, all we have to do is...Angela...why are you taking that off?"

Angela came toward Jack, shedding clothes as she advanced.

"Jack, there's still that danger...and we have a little time to deal with...its no big deal if we get there a little later than planned...I want you Jack...I need you...I have to have you...it may be our last chance, you just can't know for sure...

"Angela, we can't...we don't have the time...we have to..."

Angela shed the last of her clothes, her left eyebrow highly arched.

Jack gave up, knowing it was useless to argue. Besides, she could be right, and they did have a window of opportunity here...  
Jesus!...the way she was coming to him, that look on her face, that wonderful, beautiful, totally amazing body fully exposed to him...Jack dropped the duffel, and stepped over it, and took Angela in his arms in a desperate, urgent, deeply passionate embrace.

They kissed, their sudden, surging passion molten hot.  
Jack pulled back, and whispered , "I love you so much, Ang."

"I know. Words can't say how much I love you Jack. Now, no more talking, no time."

She ripped open Jack's shirt, buttons scattering in all directions. She pushed it off his shoulders and thrust her body against his, their naked chests pressing together. She quickly undid his pants, and knelt down as she lowered them, slithering her body against his skin, and then she greedily and without preamble took Jack's hardening c*ck into her mouth. She sucked and licked and stroked with what seemed like desperation, and Jack was long and hard in an instant.

"Oh Ang" he gasped. He gripped her hair, and forced her to take him deeply, thrusting hard and quickly, and she did with little effort. Then he pulled her off, kicked off his trousers that had still been around his ankles, picked her up, walked over to the bed and tossed her on.

Angela reached for him, grabbing his shoulders as he climbed onto the bed, opening her legs and herself to him, and with a wordless whimper, now pressing him toward her on his lower back, begged him to enter her.

Jack moaned as he did just that, then kissed her hungrily, thrusting into her deeply and repeatedly with desperate need, and she matching that need with her own. They built quickly to the peak, and both exploded over it , their passions melding together in their need for each other. Moans and screams and whimprings were all that was uttered.  
Quickly, breathlessly,blazingly,it was over.

But they held on to each other. For long minutes, many more than their actual sex act had lasted, they held each other with another kind of need. Another kind of realization. At that moment, any and all possible confusion about their feelings for each other, any lingering doubts whether one truly loved the other, were shattered beyond any question. Amazingly, in this time of worry, concern and danger, they truly became one.

They looked deeply into each others eyes. They simultaneously whispered, "I love you" and hugged each other hard once more, then without another word, quickly cleaned up, got themselves together, and left for the airport. 


	22. Chapter 22

Angela and Jack pulled up to Jack's jet just as Booth did. They parked side by side.  
They all saw a Customs Dept van sitting on the other side of the jet.

"What the hell are they doing here? " Jack asked . "I haven't even filed a flight plan yet. I haven't even taken this thing out of STATE yet for crying out loud!"

Jack looked across to Booth in his SUV. Booth looked on the verge of violence. Jack looked back to Angela, and said, "I'll go talk to these guys. You go see if you can keep Booth from blowing them away.."

Jack got out and walked around to the other side of the jet.  
Angela urgently motioned for Booth to come over to her vehicle. Reluctantly, Booth did.

"What's Jack doing? Why are there customs agents here? Did he do something he shouldn't have? We don't have time for this! We have to get going!" Booth was ramping up like one of the jet engines on Jack's plane.

Angela put a calming hand on his shoulder and cautioned him to try to not get too wound up. "At this point, we don't need a fight or a gun battle. Save that for if its really needed, Booth." she said gently as she could.

They watched Jack and the two custom officials, who kept looking over to the vehicle Booth and Angela were in more and more. Every time they did, Jack got more vocal and animated, and seemed to be trying to distract them from their attention to the two vehicles. .

Booth snarled, as he tensed like a tiger ready to leap. "Uuurrrrrrr!" he growled deeply. "If they look in my SUV, there's enough weapons and ordnance in there to put us all away for 20 years!" Angela felt real fear when Booth's sidearm suddenly appeared in his hand, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Booth! NO!" Angela whispered loudly as she pushed Booth's gun down.

"I don't care what the situation is, I don't want innocent blood on my hands, and neither would Temp! She'd die before she'd let that happen! These guys are just doing their jobs! Don't be insane, put that away! There are other ways to handle this besides some testosterone fueled blood bath!"

Angela looked over to where Jack was talking even faster, and gesturing even more wildly.

"Jeeez, soon he'll have them believing we're the Russian mob, Columbian drug lords, and Al Qaeda all going to a nuclear BBQ! Never send a man to do distraction like a woman can." she muttered.

She grabbed a bag, rummaged through it, grabbed a piece of clothing, then before Booth's unbelieving eyes, except for her undies, she stripped naked right in front of him! Then she pulled on a little black dress, high hemmed, low cut, skin tight...and damned if she didn't look even sexier than when naked.

Booth's jaw dropped...he was stunned...he even forgot to ask what the hell she was doing. She certainly was spectacular...Jack was a lucky man. Booth blushed as he realized what he was thinking, and felt a little guilty.

Angela let down her hair, fluffed and tossed it, reached over and pushed Booth's mouth closed, then opened the door and said, "Sorry Booth, no time for being demure. When I'm giving these guys an eyeful, you get your sh*t on the jet. Get ready."

She got out, pulled on some ridiculously high heeled and totally sexy shoes, then preceded to wiggle and jiggle and quiver her way over to the other side of the plane. "Holy crap, her legs are a mile long! WowieWOW! She can really turn it on when she wants to!" Booth thought, and blushed. "Wow".

Jack, the two customs agents, and even Booth, were all stunned to an appreciative silence as Angela made her way to the other side of the jet.

She managed to get herself right into the middle of the three men, and preceded to talk, giggle, quiver, bend, jiggle, touch, pose, brush against, lean on, smile, flirt, and in seconds had all three men gaping dumbly at her like they were lobotomized.

She desperately gestured behind her back to Booth to get him going, , then turned up the performance even higher, , and Booth, shaking his head, thought he better get going before one or all of them shot a load in their pants.

He snuck to the back door of the SUV, grabbed two very heavy duffel bags, and ran unseen to the jet with them. He was making his way back to get the rest of his stuff, thinking maybe he'd be spotted then, but no, Angela still had everyone hooked. He grabbed his remaining gear, got it on the jet and stowed away, and hoped they wouldn't look in there. It was a faint hope, but at least if they checked the vehicles now, there was nothing to find.

Booth decided he might as well go up to the group and find out why they were there.  
He ambled up to them, and decided if he didn't stop Angela soon, three guys were either gonna blow their loads untouched, or have blue balls for a week.

"What's up guys?" Booth decided not to show his FBI ID just yet, he didn't want to stir anything up unless he had to. He also didn't realize the unintended innuendo in that question until he saw Jack grin broadly and the two Customs guys placing their clipboards strategically.

"Uh..ahem...Mr. Booth I presume. We've been waiting for you."

"Why? What do I have to do with Customs? "

"Nothing, really, I had a friend that gave this to me, and he wanted to make sure you got it before you left." He handed Booth another of the dreaded little white envelopes.

" Have a nice day sir." The man tipped their caps to Booth and Jack.  
"Ma'am." Their eyes gave Angela another once over, but her chilly expression and a highly arched brow let them know the show was stepped quickly to their vehicle.

"Wait!" Booth called,"Who..?"

But they sped off.

"DAMMIT!" Booth swore. "Maybe they knew something!"

"Doubt it Booth." Jack said. "They probably know nothing. Minions rarely do. They wouldn't let on why they were here at first, and I was scared as hell when they kept looking over at your SUV, and then SHE showed up, and we all sorta forget what we were there for...they started chatting up Angela like I wasn't even there...by the way honey...that's some outfit..."  
Jack swept his eyes over Angela's frame, and she responded by standing a little straighter and taking a deep breath. Jack went silent, ogling Angela, who smiled broadly.

"Shut it off Ang," Booth said. "We need to think now."

"Oh...sorry Booth...I'll go get some more...some clothes on...I was just trying to distract them so you could...ya, sorry..."

"Mission accomplished Ang." Jack said, and nodding and grinning. Booth wasagain amazed, Jack could pull off a real world class "cat that ate the canary" grin. Booth could practically see feathers sticking out of his mouth.

"JACK!" Booth yelped. "Did they say anything to you? Anything that might give us some intel?"

"Intel? What? Oh...sorry Booth, I see you're back in soldier mode. No, they just said they were waiting for someone, then Ang showed up..and...uh...Ang showed up, and,...uh...then they said they were looking for you, but that's just when you walked up.."

"OK...guess we might as well load up and get going as soon as you're ready."

"Sir!" Jack snapped off what for him passed as a salute, and got to work.

Booth shook his head , sighed at Jacks retreating form. he parked his SUV more securely next to the hanger and then boarded the plane. .

Jack and Angela stowed their gear, then went forward , Jack pointing out all the features of the jet as they went.

Booth sat in one of the luxurious seats, and took a quick look around. He could have been sitting in a penthouse living room of some 5 star hotel.

Some toy. Jack didn't fool around when he decided to spend some of his money for a change.

Then Booth looked at the envelope. Addressed to "Mr. Booth." He swore to himself. After this was over, he was going to warn everyone. After that, if anybody called him "MR." anything, they were getting a punch in the nose.

He took the letter out, opened it, and started to read... 


	23. Chapter 23

"Mr. Booth. As you may have guessed from my last note, , I've been keeping an eye on your little group for some time now."

That comment sent a chill down Booth's spine. He suspected just that, from the way the abduction had been handled, and how they knew exactly who to go after to make sure he was separated from Bones so they could snatch her.

How long had this been going on? How long had he and his friends been under this surveillance? Why was this person so interested in him? He was nobody, really. Just a former soldier and now a low ranking FBI agent. Could it be someone from his past? Some person he had slighted, or some criminal he had put away that was now out and seeking revenge? It just didn't feel that way to Booth, his gut was telling him this wasn't about revenge, or righting some imagined wrong, it was something else, but what?

Booth read on.

"Further, along with Hodgins, I am going to assume his charming and attractive wife will accompany you both. She is a very strong willed, loyal, and brave friend to Dr. Brennan, to you, and of course to her husband. I feel it is inevitable she will be with you."

"I have no problems with either person keeping you company on this trip. But be warned Mr. Booth, NO ONE else may come with you. Believe this, when you arrive in the Pink Mountain area, I have my ways of knowing whether you came with anyone more than just your two friends."

"Pink Mountain , along with being an actual mountain, is also the name of a small community nearby. That community is your destination, for the moment. It has no airport . However, there is a city with a suitable airport and near enough to Pink Mountain to drive from there. The distance is not great. Here are the coordinates. The name of the city is Fort St. John.

When you arrive at Pink Mountain,you will receive further instructions. Enjoy your trip, Mr Booth, for I assure you once again, Dr. Brennan will come to no harm, and will be very comfortable and safe, so long as you don't deviate from my directions. "

"Dammit!" Booth cursed silently. "How does this guy seem to be a step ahead of us at every turn? Did he study them so long and carefully and know them so well that he could predict their every move? Were they being watched now?

A chill swept over Booth yet again. He had always been careful. He always took a circuitous and confusing route to the storage area. He almost instinctively was on the watch for surveillance or being followed. he doubted anyone could have done it successfully to him...But..when he called Jack and Angela there...they had probably come straight to it...if they were followed...dammit..he had gotten careless...

For now Booth didn't have time to think about it. There would be plenty of time to do that later, when this was all over...if he survived it...  



	24. Chapter 24

Brennan woke, stretched, and looked around her. OK. She thought maybe when she woke up, this would all have been nothing but a bad amazing mind had a tendancy to manufacture dreams of a highly realistic nature at times.

But no. She was still in this gilded cage. She stretched again, enjoying the feel of the silk sheets, despite herself.

The night before, she had intended to explore her prison, but she was famished, so made herself something to eat, and was so sleepy afterward she just curled up on the bed and quickly fell asleep. Maybe the afteraffects of the attack and then being drugged. She was downright groggy the night before, but now felt refreashed and alert.

She got out of bed, went to the bathroom to freshion up, her eyes scanning everwhere for hidden cameras . It would just be her luck to be captured by some sicko that wanted to watch her do...everything. She grimaced in disgust at the thought...but could find no evidence of any surveilance equipment at all. Maybe whoever this was was telling the truth about that.

Even so, she still felt uneasy, her hands covering herself unconsciously as she used the bathroom and then started taking a shower. However...it was hard not to relax in a shower that had shower heads at every level, streaming deliciously hot water at her from all directions. Different water settings too. Stream, pulse, massage, etc etc. Maybe she'd have to invest in one of these setups if she ever got out of here.

She smiled to herself, as she imagined Booth naked and with her in a shower such as this. She let her mind wander as the water jetted onto her and ran down her body, her soapy hands slipping over her skin. It was so relaxing, yet stimulating in here. She imagined Booth, here with her...being stimulated. Her, doing the stimulating...A slight moan escaped her.

Then she frowned. Annoyed at herself for such frivilous thoughts, when she, and probably Booth, and who knows how many of her other friends, were in possibly terrible danger.

She got out of the shower, dried and wrapped herself in huge and amazingly soft towels, and decided to see if she could find her clothes.

She wandered the rooms, and had checked what she took to be the exit door from this place. She turned and jiggled the knob, pulled and pushed the door, even gave it a few bumps with her fist and one with her shoulder. It was as solid as a battleship bulkhead. No escape that way.

She thought about the batheroom again. Impressive. Everything one could want, and then some. Luxurious was the only way to describe it. The kitchen was the same. Top end everything. She wandered in and slide her fingertips over the glass-smooth marble countertops. She had to nod in appreciation. The best. No question.

She looked around the bed and night table, but no clothes. She finally opened what she took to be the closet. Some closet! It was a walk in..and bigger than most ordinary livingrooms! There were racks of clothing on hangers, some on shelves and in drawers. Looked like a freaking store!

Business suits, skirts, dresses, casual clothes, such as slacks and blouses. T-shirts and jeans. She experimenrtally opened a few drawers. Tank tops, nighties, pj's, more t-shirts,socks. Even underwear and bras! . There was a whole wall dedicated to shoes! Everything from sexy heels to hicking boots to running shoes to flip flops! All of it, all the clothing, all the footwear, every piece, was her size. Even her tastes in clothing was covered here. Again, everything one could want in clothing, from casual and comfortable, right on down the line to sexy and naughty, she mused, as she fingered a lacey, see through bra.

Brennan shivered a little. Whoever these people were, they knew way too much about her than was comfortable. And if they thought they were getting her into any of this sex sh*t, , they had another thing coming! She threw down the maughty looking bra and slammed the drawer shut.

She took the towel that she had wrapped around her head, and finger combed her hair out. It fell in swirling tangles around her shoulders.  
She chose a comfortable bra, and panties, and pulled on a pair of jeans, and a plain white t-shirt. She found some white sports socks, and put on a pair of sneakers.

She stood, picked up the towels, intending on taking then to the bathroom, then noticed a door on the far side of the "closet."

She folded the towels neatly, and lay them on a bench, and went over to the door.

She tried the doorknob..and it turned! She gave a slight shove, and the door opened with ease.

She gasped. There seemed no end to the surprises here... 


	25. Chapter 25

What Brennan walked into was another, huge room.

As she entered, to her right, the back wall of the room was covered, floor to impressively high ceiling, with shelf after endless shelf of books.  
The far wall contained a huge flat screen tv, and gathered around it were expensive, leather covered couches and chairs, for viewers.  
But what really took Brennan's breath away was the wall to her left. Made entirely of glass, or so it seemed. The impression was of a huge, arcing window.

She walked up to it, and was dazzled. The view from her bedroom window was impressive enough, but this...this was way this wall was constructed, it was like an immense bay window. You could literally walk right into it at the center, and the window arched back onj both sides from there. The field of view from left to right, from top to bottom, was as wide as was possible to attain.

The view looked down across the valley below, and out across the mountains as far as the eye could see. Mountains and mountains and mountains, receding of into the distance like impossibly huge, frozen waves.

Again, she got the impression of very high altitude. But today, the skies were clear, amazingly blue, the view, endless. This time she could see down to the bottom of the valley, in which nestled a sparkling lake, the same intense blue as the sky. The whole scene was almost too much to take in, the beauty of it overwhelming. Brennan stood, looking out, transfixed.

"It is a beautiful view, is it not?"

Brennan whirled around. There, standing at the back of the room, just in front of a door she hadn't seen before, was the man that had talked to booth at the diner! . 


	26. Chapter 26

Booth was still looking down at the note, when his cell alerted him to an incoming call.

"Booth" he answered.

"Booth? Hacker here. Listen..we think we have an ID on this mystery man of yours from the diner. We managed to pull the pictures from an ATM across the street from there. Someone was making a withdrawal just as he and his group were coming out of the door of the diner. I'm emailing you the picture."

Booth received it, and brought it up on his phone display. Over the shoulder and across the street from the person at the ATM, he could clearly make out the man's face. No doubt about it, that was the man. He told Hacker this, then asked, "OK, so who is the sonofabitch?"

"Booth, his name is Alexander Apollo Stratis. Mostly he's known by his nickname in the world of business and finance... The Fox, or just Fox. He's supposedly of Greek decent, but that fact seems to be a bit say he's from there, some from Macedonia, some say he's from just over the border in Bulgaria, no one can seem to nail it down. Booth, he's one of the wealthiest men in the world. A self made gazillionair. Up in the area of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. You don't often see his name on those "Who's wealthiest" Lists, because he's very private about his finances, and very shrewd about hiding his wealth behind a maze of companies and banks and investments and whatever.

"Is he involved in criminal activities Hacker? And what the hell would one of the richest guys in the world want with a nobody like me? I mean, he's got Bones, I could see maybe him being some super rich weirdo who went off the edge and wanted her for some part of his collection, but what he's doing is all aimed at getting me to where ever he is hiding her. WHY?"

"I don't know Booth. As far as anyone can tell, he's always been above board in his business dealings. The only things of any legal aspect are the types of things any big business or corparation runs into, but nothing illegal. In fact, he and his companies seem almost bent on honest dealings."

"Why's he called The Fox then? Sounds like a name a crime kingpin might get stuck with." Booth said.

"From what I can gather" Hacker went on, "Its just because he's so damned good at business. He's one of these guys that makes money no matter what. Good times or bad, he makes a profit. he sh*ts and gold coins appear. One thing though..."

"What's that?" Booth asked.

"He's been more or less letting all his endeavors run themselves for the last 20 years or so. Oh, he'll step in , make a decision that always seems to net him billions, then step out again, but by and large, he's been playing the role of super rich, super playboy, super adventurer for these last 20 years or so. Yaughting, flying, skiing,mountain climbing, traveling, running with the bulls at about any kind of risky adrenalin filled activity you could dream up for the richest of adventure seekers, he's been into."

" But he always manages to stay out of the limelight. He doesn't seem to be one of those guys that hangs out with to celebrities or sports figures or heads of state or gets into fights at swanky night clubs or vacation resorts. If he's your guy, Booth...I just don't see why he's doing this. As far as anyone can tell, and we dug hard once we found out who he was, he's never been involved in anything even remotely criminal".

"I just don't understand all this" Booth said.

"Me neither Booth, the more we look into this guy, the less likely him doing this seems. If you say that's the guy you saw, then I believe you. But maybe its just a coincidence. Maybe someone else is doing this, and your encounter with him was just bad timing."

"No...its him doing this. He called me "Mr. Booth" at the diner, and all the messages I gotten since this started have addressed me in that manner. Its him alright...but why?"

"Booth, look, what are you going to do? You know I can't get the FBI directly involved in anything..."

"Don't worry about it Hacker, neither you nor the Bureau will have anything to answer to, I'm taking care of this myself. But..please...if you get any more information...send it to me, will you?"

"I'll do what I can, Booth. You can count on that. Booth?"

"Yeah Hacker?"

"Bring her home, safe, OK?"

"You know I'll do everything humanly possible, Hacker."

"I know you will...OK, good luck Booth."

Booth snapped his phone shut, and was just going to go forward and ask Jack when they could leave when his phone went off again. Maybe Hacker had some more info.

He opened it, and saw he had received an email. He opened that, and sat back down with a thud.

The email began: "Hello, Mr. Booth..."  
===========================================================

Forward in the flight cabin, Jack was sitting in the pilots seat, doing pre-flight checks, filing his flight plan, and going over his instruments, all the while giving Angela a running commentary on his activities.

Angela listened for a while, then interrupted jack, and said, "Jack, what's all this for?"

"What's all what for?"

"All...this?" Angela waved her hands around, indicating the cockpit and the jet in general. "This jet...you've never been one for conspicuous consumption before...Jesus Jack! Most of the time you look like you shop at a 2nd hand store...what gives? Why spend...what? 10...20 million on a PLANE of all things? And why learn to fly? Why not just buy tickets and fly first class and let someone else do the work?"

Jack sat back, and looked out of the window. He was silent for a moment, then said, almost in a whisper, I got it on sale...it was only 15 million...and why? It was you."

"Me?" Angela asked.

"It was because of you." he muttered. He was silent again, and a look of pain crossed his face.

"Angela, I've always flown. Since I was old enough to learn. I was always either grubbing in the dirt, or flying in the sky. Both things I've loved doing. Its just since starting at the Jeffersonian, I haven't done it much. I've had a pilot's license for various craft for years."

"But then, when we...broke off...broke up..." That look of pain again. "When we parted...yet still had to work together...Angela...I was going insane. Every minute of every day...you were in my thoughts. I couldn't help it. I closed my eyes, there you were. I stopped working for a moment, there you were. I ate lunch, you were there. "

Angela was stricken. "Oh Jack, I'm so sorry. "

Jack went on, like he needed and wanted to say all this to her.

"The ONLY thing that seemed to help fight that was working, and working, and working...but there was never enough...and when I went home..at night...sleep was impossible. I dreaded trying to sleep...dreaded being alone...because as soon as I closed my eyes, you were in my head. And knowing I couldn't hold you...love you...or that someone else was...Oh God...that haunted me like demons. I had to do something. I talked to Sweets, but it did no good. I tried to put on a brave face to you, but I was dying inside knowing you weren't mine. I had to do something, and drugs and alcohol...well...they didn't appeal to me...then...one day I was just aimlessly driving around...And I saw the airport...so I thought why not? And I started flying again. Small planes at first, but that was like driving a bicycle. So I went for multi engined prop planes...still not enough...so then jets...I started classes, weekends, nights, online...anything...worked myself exhausted, went to work during the day, and on evenings and days off, holidays, I either flew or learned about flying one of these. Then...I bought one. Hell, I thought, why not? I don't spend it on anything else. So I've had this thing about 4 months, and I'm good. My instructors say I'm as good as any pilot they've ever taught...Then..we got back together...and I've been so besottedly happy again...I sorta forget all about it. I was gonna tell you about it...it just...never came up till now..."

Angela listened to this whole story, her heart aching, and her love fir Jack growing even stronger with every word.

"Wasted time, so much wasted time." she thought. "Jack, I love you." Was all she could say. They leaned toward each other, and when Booth came into the cockpit, they were kissing passionately.

"Sorry to interrupt this spit swapping fest, Jack...JACK! Have you filed a flight plan yet?"

"Uh...yeah, just a few minutes ago, why?"

"To Seattle?" Booth asked.

"Well, going to refuel in Denver, then on to Vancouver, Washington, or, then sneak north from there...that's the plan, anyway."

"Change it" Booth said, We've been given some new instructions. 


	27. Chapter 27

Jack was confused.  
"What? How come there's a new light plan Booth?"

Booth looked very grim, and told Jack about the email.  
Moments before, Booth had read it through.

". Knowing that your friend, Jack Hodgins will likely be flying you to the destination I have laid out for you, and assuming that you will try some devious and possibly dangerous route to avoid detection as you cross the border, I have offered some asistance. Jack Hodgins is an excellent pilot, of that there can be no doubt. However, he is inexperienced, and some of the terrain you must fly over is a challenge for even the most seasoned of pilots. Therefore, in order to avoid Canadian and American border entanglements and/or detection into foregn air space,or the danger of an inexperianced pilot, I have, shall we say, smoothed the way for you."

"Attached is a flight plan that will lead you safely and comfortably to your destination. You will have no worries about crossing into Canadian air space, as I have taken the liberty of contacting certain "friends" in special places. You will be able to fly unobstructed and freely to Fort St. John as you follow this flight plan..., when you get to Fort St. John, spend the night there. There are several hotels or motels in the vicinity. The next day, rent a vehicle at this rental business." Booth noted the name. "There will be instructions for you there, telling you to proceed directly to Pink Mountain, and where to stay when you get will be contacted there after you arrive."

"Have a safe and comfortable flight, Mr. Booth."

"But...how do they know your email? Jesus Booth! Do they know everything about all of us? Is this because of your little weopans cach? Are you into somthing illegal? Undercover? Spy stuff? Holy crap! This is my worst nightmare! "

Booth noted the look of worry and, yes, suspicion that crossed Jack's face as he gazed at Booth.

"Jack! I'm NOT some undercover spy, or CIA operative. That storage unit, its something I've kept hidden up until now because..."  
A look of realization swept across booth features. "Damn...DAMN! Before we take off..." He muttered to himself.

"Booth! Don't stop talking now!"Jack said, but Angela shushed him.

He quickly flipped open his phone...then hesitated.

"Angela...do you have your phone with you?" Booth asked.

"Pffft!" was all Angela said,and her phone magically appeared in her hand.

Booth grabbed it, punched in a number, , and waited for someone to answer.

"Booth, why use my phone?" Angela asked.

"In case his is bugged, or tapped, or whatever."Jack said. Booth just nodded.

And then Booth said, "Our mystery bastard may have just slipped up."

"Hacker? Booth here. Listen, I just recieved an email on the account I use for the Bureau. It was from from our "guy". Can you trace it or track it, find out where it originated? Here's my email address and password. OK, thanks, we're gonna take off soon so I don't know how long you'll be able to reach me by this number if you find anything. Hurry."

"What makes you think he slipped up Booth?" Jack asked.

"I think he's watching us somehow. Survielance , either human or electronic, or both. This email, it seemed rushed, and something that was not in his plans. He's been way ahead of us all the way...and I've been getting those damned envelopes, and everything had the feel of being so well planned out. Except now, my gut is telling me he's just barely ahead of us. . Maybe he expected us to fly commercial, or maybe he thought it would take longer to convince you to do this, or maybe he thought it would just plain take longer for us to get ready to start out."

"Now he's telling us we have to go to Fort St. John via HIS route, which in my mind meandrers around a bit, and when we get there, stay overnight. Maybe, if Hacker can get the location that email was sent from, we can go there as the crow flies, and catch this guy by surprise.!"

"Are you sure that's wise Booth? Maybe actions like that will set him off, and he'll hurt Brennan if you don't follow his words to the letter."

He may anyway Jack! I don't know what this guy is capable of! He wants me there, that's ? I have no clue. She's the bait. When I'm there, maybe her usefulness will be over, and he'll...he'll..."

Angela covered her face with her hands. "Oh God...don't even say it Booth!"

"He wants to delay me slightly though...this email thing is out of character...he's back peddling a bit, buying time,...and if I can get there sooner than he expects, get drop on HIM for a change, maybe I can end all this quickly and with no harm to Bones."

"That's a big maybe, Booth" Jack said.

"I know, Jack...I know. But I can't just walk into whatever he has planned for me, in the hopes he'll be a nice guy after all and release Bones. He's guilty of assult, kidnapping with violance, holding someone against their will, and God only knows how many other crimes. Maybe he will realize if he releases a witness..."

"Booth...please...don't say it. Jack...we have to get there as fast as we can..." Angela said, anguish plain on her face.

Jack took another look at the new flight plan.

"Booth, I can file this, because even if we were going up there on our own path, we'd have to follow this route of his for a good way anyway. Maybe we can look like we're doing what he wants...then drop off the radar and get to him quicker, if Hacker can find..."  
Jack didn't get to finish, as Angela's phone went off.

"Booth...ok...yes...ok...GREAT! Thanbks Hacker!"

"Booth?" Angela asked.

"We got a location..its a satellite uplink to the internet...Jack...here's the location..."

Jack studied it for a few minutes. Then said, "Booth...we can get there quick enough, but there's no place even remotely able to land a jet like this..."

"Dammit...maybe I'll have to parachute in.."

"Out of a jet? Into mountains? You'll get yourself killed Booth!"

"Angela, I've done it before, if I have to, I will do it."

"Booth...hang on...I think I can get us close...it'll be dangerous, but not as dangerous as parachuting ..."

"What?" Booth asked.

Jack looked up at Booth.

I got this buddy...up in Northwestern Alberta. Online pilot buddy. We're both pilots, and I was taking online courses, and he was part of a forum, and we got to talking, and became good buddies...and he's always asking me to come on up there and do some flying...uh...he's ...we're...see, we are both kinda...conspiracy...uh...conspiracy..."

"Nutjobs?" Angela said.

Jack just gave her a sour look.

"He flies planes...he's a bush pilot...he can lend us one and we can fly into B.C. from there...he's got an airstrip...its right on the border there, between B.C. and Alberta...I might be able to land us there...its got a long enough landing strip...maybe...I think...I hope...once we're there, we can grab one of his planes, fly into B.C. and there's this lake right in the valley below this location, see? We can land there, and then you can go do your soldiery stuff to get Brennan back..."

A dangerous looking, wolfish, humorless grin was on Booth's face. Terrible to see.  
"Things may be falling into place for us Jack. Lets do it!" 


	28. Chapter 28

1638.550 in reply to 1638.549

Brennan just stood, stalk still, and stared at the man. He was as he was in the diner, dressed in a casual but at the same time expensive looking suit. No tie. White shirt, open at the neck. He had a close trimmed whitening beard, and his hair was salt and peppered as well. Despite his age, mid 60's maybe..he looked trim and fit.

He waved his hand around the room, saying. "I hope you have enjoyed your accomedations. To paraphrase a good actor friend of mine from one of his movies, I spared no expense. The difference being, here there be no monsters."

Brennan gave him a frigid look, and spat out , "I wouldn't be too sure of that!"

The man looked painfully hurt. "Dr. Brennan!" he said, as he spread his hands out beseechingly."Please do not judge me by the unfortunate method of your..."

"Capture? Abduction? KIDNAPPING?" Brennan spat again, stepping toward him with every word.

"Dr. Brennan, please!" The man said again, still managing to sound hurt. "I do apologize for how that went...things got a little...out of control, and believe me, those at fault WILL be punished. Now please, don't hold such acrimony for your host." Charm swept off the man in waves.

"HOST? HA! How about Captor! Or maybe you mean Jailer! Maybe all you deserve is the title ANIMAL!" Brennan had been inching toward the man with every word. He just stood there, looking more and more hurt. With the last word, , she lunged, aiming kick at his right knee.

He sidestepped her with the ease and grace of a matador, and suddenly Brennan found her arms locked to her sides and her body pressed against his. She attempted to stomp the arch of his foot, and when that failed, she tried to headbutt him, then bite...but it was useless, for all his seeming age, he was extremely strong and quick.

Suddenly, the friendly, companionable face was gone, replaced with one hard as flint.

"Calm yourself woman, before you force me to do you harm! I have made every effort to see to your comfort here, DON'T force me to ruin things by injuring you! Have no illusions...if you force me, I will do just that!"  
As if to illustrate that point, he very briefly squeezed the breath out of was amazingly strong.

"Now...I will let you go, but promise me, Dr. Brennan...no more of these silly outbursts, they will do you no good, and only harm if you ? No more?"

Brennan nodded weakly. He released her and helped lower her to a chair. Immediately, the warm and charming look was back.

"You are unhurt? Excellent. I wish you no harm Dr. Brennan, and you will come to none, so long as you attempt no further foolishnes."

"Why have you brought me here!" Brennan shouted. "What do you want with me!...what are you going to do to me" A thousand terrible and frightening images ran through her mind. She was here, alone, helpless against this man, and God only knew what evil games he might have in mind.

"Do?... To you? Why, nothing, Dr. Brennan. It is not I who will do something to you."That statement chilled Brennan to the bone.  
"You are here for two reasons, Dr. Brennan. . One, to help in luring Mr. Booth here."

Fear for Booth's safety boiled up and buried fear for herself. What had this madman planned for Booth? And why?

"Booth? Why do you want him? What is all this about? What's the second reason"

"Ah, Dr. Brennan, what indeed. I'm afraid you will just have to wait, and have patience, on order to find that answer. Now, have you had breakfast? I could have an excellent breakfast delivered to this room, and cold juice of your choice. We could eat, and talk! What do you say? Can we put aside this...mmmmm, understandable... hatred you are feeling for a time? Can we not talk, and dine like civilized people?"  
He smiled winningly. If Brennan had been anywhere else in the world but here, under these bizarre circumstances, she had to admit to herself that she would like this man. His charm was almost overwhelming. She nodded. She'd play along, be outwardly calm for now. But the gnawing fear she felt for Booth remained... 


	29. Chapter 29

Jack, Angela and Booth had been in the air for some hours now. Hacker had come through, and they now knew the location of their mystery man. It was just to the west of the actual Pink Mountain.

The flight plan from Brennan's abductor took them west to Minnesota. They were to land and refuel in Minneapolis, even though Jack's jet could make it to the West coast in one they were to fly to Seattle, refuel again, then fly to Vancouver, B.C , then straight north till they reached Prince George, B.C., , then on to Fort St. John.

Jack said, agreeing with Booth, that most of these stops were uncessary, as his jet had an extremely long range, and he really would have to stop maybe once, to stay withing safety guidelines,but in reality, he could almost fly them directly to Ft. St. John in one hop if he had to. Jack also agreed that all these stops seemed to be designed to slow them down, maybe buy time for Brennan's captor. .

They made plans to follow the flight plan until Minneapolis, then they'd disappear as best they could and head straight up to Jack's buddies place in that plan in place, Booth had gone back into the passenger section, leaving Jack and Angela in the cockpit.

They flew in silence for a time, then Angela said, "Jack? Why buy a jet with a better than 6,000 mile range? I mean...if its just for a hobby, couldn't you have gotten something similar...but smaller...and cheaper?"

Jack fiddled with this and that, checked that and this..and seemed reluctant to answer.

"Jack? Answer me please?"

Jack sighed...then said, "It was because of you. And...the rest of our friends."

"How so?" Angela asked.

"Promise you won't get snarky at me again?" said Jack.

"OK, promise."

"Well, I wanted...I needed the challenge...something to take my mind off of you...but also...you know how I feel about the way things are going in the world...terrorism...nuclear capable countries like the Soviet Union crumbling and misplacing A-bombs and uranium...other countries that shouldn't have this SH*T that do...terroist groups that might have that SH*T in their sweaty hands and can't wait to use it...our own government getting more and more totalitarian and controlling and secretive...I wanted a jet that could take us as far as we might have to run, if it came to that. I wanted one that could get you to safety, no matter how far we had to go to get there."

Jack didn't look at Angela when he finished,he just stared out into the sky ahead.

"Jack?"

"Yeah Ang?"

"You're a nutcase, y'know that?"

Jack got that sour look on his face again.

"But you keep proving how much you love me, and you're MY nutcase, and I love you with my life." Angela said, and leaned over and kissed Jack on the cheek."

Jack beamed in abject happiness, and they flew on. Jack grinning, Angela making small talk with him and looking lovingly at him, and Booth, in the passenger section, grimly and almost obsessively checking and rechecking his gear, dismantling and rebuilding his weapons,and mentally promising Brennan he would get her out of this, and promising to make whoever was doing this sorry they were ever born.  
==========================================================

Brennan decided for now she'd have that breakfast, she was starving again, and she'd just talk...maybe she could get some useful information out of this guy. If she got the chance, maybe she'd be able to clock the guy with a glass or a plate. But as soon as she had that thought...

"Oh, it occurs to me that you might try to "surprise" me,if I become distracted during our meal. In case you decide to attack again, Dr. Brennan, and in the unlikely case that you do manage to overpower me or render me unconscious, ...that door has an electronic lock, that you need a numerical code to open. I think it is best that we have a quiet breakfast, and a friendly chat, about anything you desire."

He ran his hand thoughtfully through his graying hair, and said, "I have been around a while, and my life has touched on many many things during my time here on earth. I hope you will find I am an entertaining conversationalist."

"OK, sure, for starters, Who the hell are you? Why did you bring me here? What's Booth got to do with this? Why did you have to kidnap me? Where are we?"

The gentleman just smiled genially, then answered, "My name is Alexander. If you wish, perhaps Alex would do? Why I brought you here, and why I want Mr. Booth here, well, I'm sorry to say for now that must remain a secret. All will be revealed to you soon, if things go well. If they don't...' His face hardened. "Lets just hope they go to plan, shall we? Now, Dr. Brennan, about your work..."

Brennan let herself be drawn into a conversation with this Alexander. She assumed there was no point at the moment to antagonize him unnecessarily, although at first she made a point of calling him "Alexander" in a very stilted and unfriendly way. . For the next couple of hours, Brennan wasn't sure how long it was, he engaged her in entertaining, witty, thought provoking, knowlegeable, even adventurous conversation. He knew a great deal about her and her work, both before and after her involvement with Booth and the FBI, and about the Jeffersonian. His remarks and questions and comments were intelligent , well informed, and well thought out.

He regaled her with some stories about his own past. Explorations and events he had been part of over the years that made great story telling.

He was indeed a most engaging, interesting and even likable person. When he decided it was time to leave,with a courteous bow and a "Till our next talk" , Brennan begrudgingly had to admit to herself, she had just had one of the best conversations she could remember.

It wasn't until some minutes later that she realized what she had said to him as he left.

"I'll look forward to that, Alex."  
===========================================================

Jack's jet had landed in Minneapolis, refueled, and took off again. After Jack got it up to cruising altitude, he called Booth up to the cockpit.

"Booth, I'm going to stay on this course until we're at the extreme range of Minneapolis' radar. Just as they are ready to hand us off to the next radar station, I'm gonna pull the transponder and then hit the deck."

"Why would you lay down at a time like that?" Angela asked.

Jack rolled his eyes and said, "Ang, you really do spend too much time with Brennan. You're starting to talk like her. What I meant was, we're going to dive to the lowest safe altitude I can manage, try to get below radar range, then sprint north across the border with balls to the wall."

"You'll be that scared?" Angela said.

"What? No, Angela, that just means I'll have the throttle pushed all the way to the firewall...I'll have my foot to the floor... pedal to the metal? OK, we're gonna go as fast as we can as low as we can for as far as we can. It'll eat up a lot of fuel flying that low at that speed, but we should have plenty go get directly to where I want to take us."

"Which is where?" Booth asked.

"To TJ's airstrip."

"TJ?" Angela asked.

"My bud, my cyber bud. his airstrip is where we're going."

"OK" Booth said. "Lets make this happen."

They set their plan in motion.

Hours later, their maneuvers successful, they were approaching that remote airstrip in Nothwestern Alberta.

"So, what's this guy like? " Angela asked.

"He's funny as hell, smart. real fun to chat with. A real experienced bush pilot. Has flown all over the north in all kinds of planes."

"What's he look like?" Angela asked.

"From his profile picture he's an older guy. ...we just chatted through a website...never got to the point of exchanging emails or anything, but we used to talk a LOT on that website. He was always saying I should come up and visit him..he's gonna get a surprise alright!...oh sh*t!"

"What's the matter?" Angela said.

"Get Booth up here."

"Why" What's wrong?"

I'm gonna need his help to land this thing..that strip is a LOT shorter than it should be! "

"I can help, just tell me what's going to happen and I can help!" Angela said.

"Sorry Ang, I know you're a strong girl, but I'm gonna need Booth's arms on this one. The controls will get really sluggish.I'll need his strength to help keep them in trim. "

"Are you sure? I think I can help. What's gonna happen?"

OK, we're gonna go out about 5 miles and turn around start an approach, I'm gonna have to cut power, and we're gonna come in nearly stall speed, just above the trees at the beginning of the runway...once we're past them, I'm going to cut power even more, we'll be even closer to stalling, and I'll try to drop this thing as fast as possible onto the landing strip, once on the ground, we'll hit reverse thrusters and brakes, and hope like hell we stop before we hit that f*cking barn some moron built at the other end!. "

H...how fast will we be coming in...how fast is that?"

"Around 150 miles per hour."

"And...if we...what did you say? Stall?"

"We crash"

"At...how fast?"

"Around 150 miles per hour."

"And you've practiced this...right? With this plane?"

"Jet."

"OK, jet, you've practiced doing that with this jet?"

"No."

"With another plane?"

"No."

"On a simulator?"

"Yes"

"OK, that's something" Angela said.

"Well..."

"Well? Well what, Jack?"

"Not exactly a simulator.."

"What do you mean...not exactly..."

Jack looked over at her."Ummm, it was an ...um...video game..."

"A video game...one of those flight simulator video games?"

"Yeah..."

"BOOTH! Angela screamed. "Get your ass up here, RIGHT NOW!"


	30. Chapter 30

Booth came into the cabin and Angela couldn't get out of the co-pilots seat fast enough. "Sit here Booth." she said anxiously.

He sat, and asked, "What do you need me for Jack?"

Booth, we're going to try to land this f*cking jet on a landing strip about a third too short for the job. I'll need you to assist me with the controls, because we're gonna drop like a f*king rock, hit like a f*cking bitch, and roll way f*cking too fast and far down the runway, and probably end up inside that f*cking barn, curse the f*cker that decided to put THT f*cking thing f*cking THERE!"

Booth new Jack was nervous, he usually never swore like that. "Just tell me what to do Jack."

"I want you to grap the yoke. That's the steering thingy, ok? Move as I move, but don't try to take control. Just try to stay with my movements. See these levers? That's the reverse thrusters. When I say so, pull them all the way to here.  
See these levers here? That's flaps. I'll be moving them as we come in, but if things get hairy, I may need both hands on the yoke, so you may have to drop them the rest of the way. DON'T get these mixed up, or you'll kill us all!"

"Jack..why don't we get to a bigger airport?" Angela asked.

"Because we burned up here at top speed, at low altitude through thicker air than she normally cruises at, and that takes a LOT of 're almost out. I'm sorry I took it for granted this strip would be longer...I guess maybe I got caught up in all this and should have checked, but I didn't..."

"Its OK Jack, you did your best and you didn't know..."Angela placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder.

"She's right, you did more than most would have Jack, you're as good a friend as anyone could want." Booth said.

"Anyway...we're going in now Booth, final approach. When we get close to stall speed we're gonna vibrate like a bastard. The controls will be a bitch, she'll fight it, she won't like it...but we gotta do it this way... Follow my lead. Don't mix up the levers...here we go..."

Jack pulled back on the throttles, slowing their speed, pulled back, slowed, pulled back, slowed some more, they dropped swiftly toward the trees, and Jack struggled to aim the nose of the jet at the far too short landing strip ahead of them...  



	31. Chapter 31

Jack settled the jet into a final approach to the air strip. He started talking urgently and forcefully.

"Angela, sit in that seat an buckle in tight. Booth, some hairy things might happen on the way down, your instinct at times may be to do just the opposite of what I need you to be doing. Don't fight the controls , don't fight me, just aid me. Help me, don't hinder."

"When we come out of the trees at the near end of the runway, we're going to be going very slow for this jet, but fast enough to kill us all very efficiently if things go wrong. As we clear the trees, I'm going to almost completely cut power, and we're gonna drop onto the runway HARD! I'm hoping the landing gear can take it. I'm going to try to keep her level, but we're gonna be right on the edge of losing control all the way in. Hope for the best. If we make it down in one piece, our next problem will be stopping. Booth, you HAVE to hit reverse thrusters and push the power all the way up again on MY command, NOT before, and NO hesitation, got it?"

Booth nodded silently, scanning the levers as if memorizing them.

Angela, seeing this totally unexpected side of jack, was mesmerized, and she felt no fear at all. She knew Jack would do everything humanly possible to get them down safely. She couldn't believe this was the same Jack. This forceful, take commend side of him was...oh God...she made up her mind if they got out of this alive and didn't go to prison, she's sequester Jack in the bedroom for weeks, and he wouldn't be able to walk right for a month..maybe more...

Jack went on, his eyes and hands flying over the controls. , "I may have to pull some maneuvers on the way in to bleed off speed. S turns, full flaps...I may even have to side slip us."

"Side slip? What's that?" Booth asked.

"Crossing the controls. Push the rudder left, turning the yoke right, and we slip somewhat sideways through the air. It bleeds speed really quickly, and then I plan on straightening her out just as we touch down...the only problem is..."

"Is?" Booth asked.

"Its really dangerous, we may fall out of the sky too soon, hit the trees, game over. We may flip over in the air...same result, stuff like that. But I might have to do it...we're only gonna get one shot at this. "

Booth said, "You've practiced this, right? In this Jet?"

"No"

"In another plane, right? Booth asked.

"No"

"On a simulator?"

Angela said, "Booth...don't ask"

In a state of total calm,she reached out and lay her hand on Jack's shoulder. "I know you can do it Jack. I love you, and I know you can do this."

"I love you too, Jack. And you better f*cking well pull this off, because if you kill us, I'm going to be really really annoyed." Booth said with bitter humor.

"OK, starting some S-turns, Booth, just rest your hands lightly on the co-pilot controls. Don't do anything yet, but be ready, and wait till I tell you I need help. OK, Less power, more flaps now" he said, as he applied them. The jet started to vibrate slightly. Jack's concentration increased, his grip on the yoke tightened, and he started talking to the jet, probably without realizing it...cooing and coaxing it down as he hoped it would go.

"Booth, help me now...follow me...Come on baby, come on honey, slooow down sweety...sloow down baby...c'mon, slower you sweet thing you...slow down my nice shin y babe...slower please? C'mon honey, for me? I'll love you forever if you...slow...slower...aww c'mon baby...slower...SLOW down you bitch...SLOWER you f*cking piece of sh*t! SLOW DOWN you f*cking whore! C'mon you BITCH...SLOWER!...

Jack spoke at a machinegun pace now. "Booth! I have to slip her...help me...be careful...right rudder...yoke to the left...follow my lead...be ready on the flaps, when I yell for them, FULL flaps... I have to hold her..when I say, you're gonna have to let go of the yoke and pull the throttles back, then be ready to apply reverse thrusters and full power on my command, throttles all the way forward, balls to the wall...ok...here we go...slipping now.. !"

Jack eased the yoke one way, the rudder pedals the other, and the jet shuddered, and fought this maneuver it wasn't designed for, and under Jacks insistent and desperate and delicate commands, she grudgingly obeyed. She flew through the air almost sideways, crablike. Anyone seeing her approach nose on would see her belly, one wing stuck up in the air at a low angle, the other aimed at the ground..,the front of the plane off at an angle to the direction of flight... dumping speed at an amazing rate, losing lift even faster, and plummeting to the ground horrifically fast.

Just before the jet burst over the trees at the top of the runway, still in that crablike state, Jack screamed "FULL FLAPS , CUT POWER!"

Booth let go of the controls and with one hand grabbed the flaps lever, and set them all the way on, with the other, as fast as he could, he pulled the throttles all the way to the point Jack had indicated earlier..almost completely off...

The jet swooned out of the sky like a stricken bird, and fell rather than flew bottom first toward the ground. Just yards above the runway, Jack stomped the rudder over the opposite way, and strightened the yoke,

"SWING you WHORE, swing around you f*cking F*CKING WHORE!" Jack screamed.

The nose came round sluggishly, , and the landing gear hit with tremendous force, and they bounced back into the air, Jack fought, cursing and spitting, and screamed at Booth again, "As soon as we hit again, thrusters, full power...NOW!"

And they struck thunderously again, but Jack kept her down this time, and Booth forced the reverse thrusters all the way on, and throttles to full power. The jet roared along, shuddering and swerving as Jack stood on the brakes and fought her desperately to keep her on the runway, and the barn at the end of it grew in the windshield with horrifying speed.

Jack said in an agonized voice.."Oh God...oh God...too fast...TOO FAST!...we're not gonna make it...we're not gonna stop in time!" 


	32. Chapter 32

Brennan stood just beside the door to the...library? Observation room? Entertainment den? Whatever this room was. She had come back in, drawn by the view, and the books. Books on everything and anything you could think of, it was like the freaking Library of Congress in here!

She had been browsing through the books when someone began activating the lock to the door, and as soon as she heard it, she dropped the book she was looking at. In her hands now, she held a heavy lamp. She was ready to clock whoever came through that door, and hopefully, get out of this room.

Her plans from there were a bit nebulous, she wasn't sure what she'd run into out there, but she was damn well gonna try, and see how far she could get.

As the last beep from the electronic lock sounded, she tensed, raising the lamp a little higher.

The door swung open, and she waited, then, from outside, she heard Alexander's voice...

"If you please Dr. Brennan, no rash acts. This is not the time. I need to speak with you. Please put the lamp down."

"How did you?...You bastard! You ARE spying on me! You f**king SICKO ! I knew it!"

"Dr. Brennan! You insult me! I promised you no surveillance in your private rooms. However, this isn't YOUR room. Just one you have access please, Dr. Brennan, I have a matter of some...urgency, to discuss with you...replace the lamp...its a rather expensive one to be using as a club"

"I know, I know, you spared no expense. Fine. Its back where it belongs."  
Brennan replaced the lamp and went to stand in front of the windows, looking out. That damn view was spectacular and addictive.

Alexander walked in and came to stand beside Brennan, and looked out over the impressive landscape. "I never tire of this. It is one of the most awesomely beautiful places I have ever seen. That's why I built here..."

"Did you need to talk to me about your views on the view, or was there a real reason for this visit?"

Alexander continued to look out over the landscape, and he was silent for a moment. Then he spoke, and Brennan was instantly alert, because he sounded totally different than his usual over the top, exuberant self.

"I was careful to lay out a course for Mr. Booth to travel to get here. I knew Jack Hodgins was flying himself and Mr. Booth in this direction, and of course, his wife, Ms. Montenegro in his jet.

"Jet? Jack has a jet?"

"Yes, Dr. 's the problem. He's an able pilot, but inexperienced. I felt they might try to pull some dangerous maneuvers, fly some risky course to get to you more quickly. I feared for their safety. I want Mr. Booth here in one piece. I left instructions and a flight plan that would ensure they had a safe trip as close as I was willing to get them to here, and one that also took some time, so that we might share some time together." Once more, a chill ran through Brennan. What did that mean?

Alexander noted the look on her face. "Oh please, Dr. Brennan! This is not some grand dungeon I have you in! I plan no physical or mental insult to you, no rape or torture! True, I know you are not here under ideal conditions, but I tell you, with all that I hold dear, no harm will come to you if you just allow this to happen."

"What to happen? WHY won't you tell me what this is all about!"

"I cannot, not now...not till I'm sure...Dr. Brennan, I must get back to what I came here to tell you. About your friends, and their plane."

"As I've said, I planned a safe route for them. But somewhere northwest of Minneapolis, they took it upon themselves to deviate from it. It is what I feared, as I've said, Mr. Hodgins is a good pilot, but lacks experience in the pilots seat...and now...Dr. Brennan, they have disappeared from all radars, no one can pick up the transponder signal from the plane. They have disappeared. I fear they may have ...crashed."

"Crashed? No...nooooo...not Jack, and Angela. Oh God...not Booth! Not BOOTH!"

Brennan suddenly looked at Alexander, blazing anger in her eyes. "You BASTARD! Is this part of some sick fantasy of yours? It IS isn't it? You brought me here to play with me like some toy! Well I'm not going along with it!"

Alexander looked back at Brennan, and she saw nothing there but sadness and pity. "Dr. Brennan...this is the truth, I would never do such a thing, you must believe me. You are not here as a toy, or a prisoner, really. Just for the moment, yes, but not for long, or you weren't intended to be..., but you must believe me...I thought you should know."

And Brennan believed him. Despite the fact she shouldn't, she believed him. "You...this is YOUR fault...YOU caused this! YOU brought me here, and YOU made Booth come for me, and now he could be dead and ..." Brennan went white. When those words escaped her lips, a second or two went by before they sunk in...her insides turned to ice..she lost all strength, and swayed on her feet. Alexander caught her, and lowered her to a chair. "I must check on this, do not believe the worst just yet, Dr. Brennan, I will find out for myself, and you have my word, good or bad, I will tell you the truth. I am sorry for your distress, and for this happening. I wanted nothing like it."

With that, he left Brennan sobbing and slouched in a chair, facing the spectacular, and now unnoticed view through the windows.

The jet lurched and skidded and careened down the runway, inexorably the huge barn grew in the windscreen. Jack, standing on the brakes, was also hammering at the reverse thruster controls, desperately and hopelessly trying to knock them a little further on, trying eek out just a little more breaking power, all the while raving and cursing words at the jet that would make a pirate blush .

Angela was calm, a serene look on her face, she watched Jack, nothing but Jack, total in her faith in him being able to bring them out of this alive.

Booth sat stone-like and grim, there was nothing more that he could do, and all he could think was, he couldn't die, not now, he couldn't, he had to save Brennan, he had to get to her...all he could see was her face, and all he could feel was the overwhelming need to get to her...

The tires shrieked, the brakes smoking, the reverse thrusters screamed at full power. Two of the tires blew from overheating, the jet lurching to one side but Jack fought it back, and the jet slowed. Agonizingly, it slowed, and slowed, and the barn grew and grew...and the jet slowed some more,slowed some more, and finally, it lurched to a halt less then 10 feet from the side of the barn.

Jack automatically powered down the engines, and they died with a final lowering the cockpit now, silence. All three sat, still and wordless. Until finally, Booth muttered, "Holy sh*t jack, you did it!"

"I knew you could do it Jack." Angela said, her hand touching him again.

"Holy f**king ####, I did it. I f**cking DID it!"Jack said.

He looked at Booth and Angela with an immense grin. "I am a leaf on the wind!"

"Uh, ok, whatever Jack" Booth said, clapping Jack on the shoulder then going aft.  
"I am a leaf on the wind!" Jack said, turning to Angela.

"Jack...what?"

"I am a leaf on the wind! Wash? Serenity?" Jack smiled hopefully at Angela as he said this to her. .  
She just shook her head in confusion.

"You don't know that line? From the movie made from the best sci fi show of the last two decades? Wash? Leaf on the wind? Serenity? Firefly? Mal Reynolds? Captain Tightpants? The Browncoats?"

Angela patted Jack, and said, "Lots of stress from the landing, now you've gone insane. Lets get you out of here and maybe you'll start making sense."

Angela went aft, and Jack got up, and looked around himself, and shook his head, and said, "Best f**king line I ever said, and they don't f**king get it. " He shook his head at this tragedy, and went after the others.

They exited the jet, carrying Booth's gear, and started the long walk for the main building. A low, squat affair that looked all the world like some roadside diner rather than anything to do with airplanes.

Finally they made it, and went for the front doors. Booth was first, and pulled open the door, and was going to walk inside, but stopped dead in his tracks, for he had suddenly found himself looking down the rather impressively large bore if a shotgun barrel, and he heard the unmistakable sound of the pump action being cocked. . 


	33. Chapter 33

Booth stood stock still. Angela came in the door just behind him, complaining.

"Jeeeez, I wish we would have landed closer, these shoes aren't made for walking over hard ground. And ew! What's with those friggin little black flies? They're eating me alive! And I thought it was supposed to be cold in Canada, its like freaking 80 degrees...WOAH!" That's when she saw the shotgun. Then she saw the person holding it. "WOAH!"

After coming in the door, Angela almost ran into the motionless Booth. She looked past him to see, aiming a Remington 12 gauge pump action shotgun at Booth's forehead, a girl. No, a , aiming, wearing an oversize plaid shirt, opened and untucked, , and underneath a tight tank top. Lower body encased in a form fitting pair of faded bluejeans. Blond. Nice figure...no..GREAT figure.

The woman spoke. "Don't...move...either one of you. Who the hell are you? What are you doing here? What's in those bags? Why did you land HERE?"

Booth started to bend to one of his dropped bags as he spoke.

"Listen, we don't want any trouble..."

"YOU! Soldier boy! YOU don't move...not a muscle, or your brains will be splattered all over Miss Fashion Model there. YOU! Fashion Model, what are you doing here?"

Angela was about to start babbling an explanation when Jack came bumbling in through the doors, griping sarcastically.

"Wow! Thanks for the help guys. Angela, next time, pack freaking lighter will you? Its a wonder we could take off under all that weight. I'm a leaf on the wind, not a friggin pack mule. Boy, they sure have a healthy crop of Simulium up here. They're in my ears and everything. Say, why are you guys...?"

Angela had never taken her eyes off the woman, and when Jack had stumbled in, she watched as the woman's eyes flew wide open with...shock? Recognition?

Despite the situation, Angela found herself arching an eyebrow appraisingly, and couldn't help herself from thinking that this woman's were the first set of blue eyes she'd seen in a long long time that would give Brennan's beautiful blue eyes a run for their money.

"JACK? Is that YOU?"

Jacks head flew up in confusion. He saw the shotgun, then the woman. His brows knit in puzzlement. "Uh...do I know you? What's going on?"

"Jack...JACK! It IS you!" A brilliant smile lit her face. "Are you with these two? Did you land that think out there?" The young woman demanded excitedly.

"Yes, I'M with him!" Angela said coldly and wrapped her arm possessively around Jack's.

Booth chanced a look over his shoulder and said , "Thanks for the inclusion there Angela."

"YOU shut your mouth soldier boy, till I tell you to talk! Jack? Why are you..way the hell up HERE?"

"Yeah JACK! Why are you way the hell up here? And just HOW do you know HER?" Angela asked with a voice that would freeze water, her left eyebrow arching menacingly.

"I...she...we..."

"Jack" The woman said. "Its me, TJ."

"I...uh...TJ..no way...she...uh...her...I dunno...what?"

"Spit it out Jack, I can't stand here all day and I don't want a brain full of buckshot." Booth grated.

"Its DEER shot soldier boy, if i pull the trigger you won't have a HEAD, much less a brain, now SHUT UP!" She took a step closer to Booth, aiming at his head again.

"Too close honey" Booth mused silently to himself. " You're out of position, too close to me, and the two behind me aren't in the firing line now. You may know how to handle that thing, but you're not used to pointing it at humans. Deer just stand there, or run away. But humans are different. Because humans can do...THIS!"

In one blinding motion Booth ducked away while his hand shot up and swept the gun barrel aside, and he charged in. Before anyone could move,or realize how it happened, Booth was behind her, holding the woman tightly around the throat with his well muscled arm, and holding the shotgun in the other hand. .

"Wow Booth, that was amazing. You really are a soldierboy aren't you?" Jack said. "But ease up, she's turning purple, and how are we going to talk if you crush her windpipe? You've got her disarmed, let her go. I want to find out how she knows me, cause.." He looked pointedly at Angela. "I DON'T know her!"

"Yes you do Jack! the girl strangled out as Booth eased the pressure on her throat with his big bicep. "We talk online all the time!"

Angela put her hands on her hips and glared at Jack. Jack swallowed convulsively, and thought facing a rabid grizzly bear would be a less frightening thing than Angela was right now.

"Listen" he glanced nervously at Angela when he started talking. "Uh, listen, I don't know YOU. The guy I was talking online to was some middle aged dude, bald, skinny. It sure wasn't YOU!." Another nervous glance at Angela, who returned his look with a look colder than the North Pole.

"I believe me, I think I'd remember YOU!" Jack blurted out. Oh sh*t, wrong thing to say. Angela's face was getting red. Oh Jesus...that left eyebrow was arching really high...

"I'm TJ, TEE JAY!" she pronounced loud and carefully. "We were on the website talking all the time. Don't you remember? Jesus Soldier boy, ease up will you, you got my gun, you don't have to choke me! Oh, and try deoderant next time you travel, OK?"

Booth, who had gripped her harder when she leaned toward Jack, looked slightly vexed, but relented and let her go cautiously.

I know a TJ, from up here, but he ain't YOU, not from the profile pic I saw...oh...wait..."

"Yeah. Its a lot easier to talk about planes and flying on a mostly male dominated website and be taken seriously, and not get hit on constantly, when they think you're some 50 plus year old guy. "

Jack looked relieved, and blurted out again to Angela, "See? Ang? I don't know her, I thought she was some old guy, not a hot blue eyed blond...oh sh*t..."

"OK OK, Angela is it? Listen, you needn't worry, I don't have any attraction for Jack other than a friend that likes to talk about flying, OK? It was all purely friendship."Jack couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of disappointment at hearing one look at Angela, still looking somewhat annoyed, evaporated it.

"By the way Jack, some f*cking landing! Sorry about the shotgun, I thought you guys were drug smugglers or federal agents or that I get a closer look, soldier boy there got Fed written all over him. When I saw soldier boy here in camo pants and a too tight shirt...who do you think you are anyway, wearing a shirt that tight, Simon Cowel? Anyway, when I saw him lugging all that shyt up here I got scared. I didn't see you two until after he was in here."

Booth just growled and emptied the shotgun of ammo with quick, expertly precise motions.

"Doesn't say much, does he?" TJ said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder.

"He's got a lot on his mind. We're up here trying to find his girlfriend." Angela stated.

Booth opened his mouth to protest, then suddenly looked thoughtful, and said nothing. He looked at Angela, and gave an imperceptible nod, and an equally imperceptible smile. Then they were gone, and grim Booth was back.

We have to get to a place that's some miles West beyond Pink Mountain. As far as I can tell, the only way there is by air. The only place to land is a lake below it. We need a fully gassed up plane capable of making that distance and back..."

TJ looked at Booth, then back at Jack. "Demanding toy soldier ain't he? What's this all about? Girlfriend?."

"She's in danger. She was abducted and she's been taken up North here somewhere and we're trying to get to her."Jack explained.

"Oh Jesus! I'm so , lets go into the kitchen, and we'll talk all about this and plan this out. I may have a plane for you guys. Right this way."

She indicated a door, and they all filed through it, TJ going last.

Angela whispered to Jack along the way, "Boy, she sure took a dislike to Booth, huh? Don't see that often,"

"Maybe she's gay" Jack whispered back.

Angela grimaced.

"Figures that's the first thing YOU'D think! But I just Don't get that vibe" Angela whispered, and they went on.

In fact, TJ's hostility to Booth had more to do with instant and overwhelming attraction than real hostility. . It surprised her, and she reacted that way almost in self defense. here was this strange man, lugging God knows what into her building, and the whole time she had the shotgun on him, her nerve endings were thrumming like high voltage wires. Her body still tingled from his rough handling of her,his scent lingered in her nostrils , and as she watched his muscular back disappear into the kitchen, she thought, "Figures he'd have a girlfriend. Tragic. Just plain tragic that he'd show up here and he's taken. Hey...maybe if something something happens to his girlfriend I can be there to comfort him. OH MY GOD! What a thing to think! I need to get to town more often! I think cabin fever is setting in. ...but damn...he's so hot..."

Angela, first into the kitchen, turned and as everyone entered, watched TJ as she watched Booth, and gave a secret knowing smile. How often had she seen untold numbers of women look at Booth that way, and he didn't even realize it most of the time. How often had she seen Brennan doing just that same thing, and no matter how she tried to get them to wise up, , Temp and Booth seemed to have this stupid unwritten rule between them keeping them apart. Lately for some reason, it had gotten even worse.

Maybe...just maybe...if they all came through this thing intact, both Temp and Booth would wake the f*ck up, and get together finally. One could hope.

TJ made them all some hot herbal tea, and brought out some maps, spreading them out on a big, rough hewn plank table, and they started looking over the situation, and making plans. .

. 


	34. Chapter 34

ok, one comment i got. That this story is in the M section yet bad words are still disguised, if somewhat thinly, and it may be a bit annoying to some that way. I'm sorry, its because I'm lazy. .

I write these chapters, , *plop* all in one go straight out of my head, and always post them on another website(a Bones fansite, The Lab) first. When I post them, I invariably tinker with them, edit them, change them slightly if I have an idea hit me as I'm posting it. . Then I delete the original, and copy this latest version from the website, and bring it here as it is. Sorry if it bothers some. I'd fix it, but...meh...as i said, I'm lazy. I hope it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the story too much. Thank you all, btw, for your kind words as this goes along. =] 


	35. Chapter 35

I'll get this right yet. The website automatically edits out the bad words, blocking them completely. so I disguise them the way I do so they stay recognizable. then they get copied that way. 


	36. Chapter 36

As Alexander left the room, he gave one last look behind at the sobbing Brennan, shook his head sadly, then carefully closed the door behind him and making sure it was secured.

Anton and another lackey was waiting for him. Anton stood there, menacing even while still. His expression was inscrutable.

"What have you found out about that jet." Alex asked.

"Nothing, they disappeared. No sign of them reported on any radar or at any airport. I TOLD you we should plant a tracking device on them." Anton said.

"What difference does that make if they crashed?" Alexander said angrily.

"How do you know that they crashed? Mr. Booth is very good. His pilot friend and him may have been smart enough to disable the transponder on their plane, then avoid radar."

"That's highly unlikely, Anton! They would have to know blind spots and corridors on military and civilian radar systems across half the continent and two countries! Mr. Booth may have been a good soldier, and an able FBI agent, but he was relatively low ranking in both, and he'd hardly have been privy to such information. No, I fear the worst. But keep checking, we'll give it a few days before we give up."  
Alexander finished with a heavy sigh, and he suddenly looked weary.

"What do you mean to do if this all goes to pieces, if they did crash and die?" Anton asked, glaring at Alexander carefully.

"We let her go. We take her to some safe place near here, the closest town, and let her go...Dammit,this isn't supposed to be how it went!" Alexander said, looking even more weary, and even exhausted.

He looked at Anton. "Keep checking, see what you can find out. Check local news services, tv and radio stations, listen to radio chatter on shortwave, military and civilian bands,airline and cargo flights... anything. Listen for anything unusual, rumors, guesses,unusual air traffic, ANYTHING! Be thorough!" With that, he stalked off.

Anton watched him go, and grunted angrily. The other man with him said, "What's on your mind, Anton?"

"This whole thing was a ridiculous venture from the start. Why he wanted that woman, I know not. Why he wanted that man and her here,in this ridiculous palace of nowhere, is anyone's guess. I think he is losing his mind. Whatever the reason, he put ME, you, and the rest of us on the hook for assault with violence, , kidnapping, and god knows how many other crimes."

Anton chose to forget that his team's bungling and the unnecessary violence of their actions put them in that very position.

"Now, he means to just let her go? So she can identify us all?"Anton scowled unhappily.

"Just what are you thinking Anton?"

"Alexander has enough cash and other forms of currency and liquidable assets stoked away here to make us all very comfortable for a long long time. I've seen it. He trusts me too much."

"I still don't understand." the other said.

"I could go to jail for 30 yrs for what I have done for him so far. Maybe more. Maybe I'd get life. No telling what the rest of you would get, probably the same. We're all in this together. A few more crimes won't make much difference. My thought is, THEY disappear"...He jutted his jaw out, first where Brennan was, in the direction of The Library, then in the direction Alexander had taken, " then WE, and the riches disappear and WE all live happily ever after! I know several countries with no extradition treaties with the U.S. or Canada where we could all settle with no problems, especially with money to pave the way."

The other man, who had worked with Anton ever since their army days together, nodded and smiled mercilessly in agreement. "It would be nice to be on the other end of the money for a change."

"We'll play along with that crazy old man for now. But if things look like they've fallen completely apart, I mean to take action." He gazed brutally at the door to The Library. " Decisive, profitable action..."  



	37. Chapter 37

While Angela sipped her tea, Booth, Hodgins, and TJ were hunched at the table, pouring over huge maps of Northern Alberta and British Columbia.

Her brow arched as she watched TJ unconsciously fawn over Booth. She always seemed to either lean toward him while speaking, look at him whenever pointing something out on a map, she even put her hand on his arm a few times to get his attention about some point she was making...and damned if she was even giggling a lot. She probably hadn't seen anything as good looking as Booth up here for...Angela looked around her, and out the window...probably ever.

Actually, regarding the scene with a critical and detached eye, Angela could see why she was acting this way. Booth cut quite a figure in that skin tight sleeveless shirt, and those camo pants and boots. Plus the way he looked so grim and capable, , yet vulnerable and hurting at the same time... yeah, if she wasn't totally and hopelessly in love with Jack, even she might be effected by Booth and the damaged aura around him right now.  
Oh, who was she kidding? He IS hot! But she saw this now more like a sister appraising her brother before a big date and acknowledging it for the first time.

Angela watched TJ again, smiling slightly. Poor Booth, he just couldn't help attracting women like a magnet. . The poor woman...she probably didn't even realize she was doing it, or how hopeless it was now. . She had seen women do this all the time,and it was happening again, and Booth either didn't notice, chose not to, or was too worried about Brennan to care. Angela laid mental money on the last one.

Jack straightened up, and took a sip of tea. "We're gonna need a float plane of some sort, with enough cargo carrying ability to get us to that lake, but not so big as to overshoot it. Its not a very big lake."

"After that landing you pulled off here, I'm thinking you could land just about anything anywhere Jack, right Booth?" TJ said, and smiled at Booth.

Jack stole a quick look at Angela, and gave her a "He did it again" roll of his eyes, and then thanked TJ for the compliment.

"But realistically, there was a lot of luck involved there, as much as skill."

You do realize you''ll never get that off the ground here again, runway's too short." TJ said.

"What's with the barn anyway, why stick that there?" Jack asked.

"Dad built it before he retired. That was his picture I used on that website.

"He didn't want large planes landing here, like... well... like yours. Two things he detested, drug runners, and big government. All he wanted coming here was small planes. I think he was a bit mental about it...drug runners? This far north? Its not like we're on the Mexican border or near a huge city, or even on a flight path between either. And he was always bitching about Big Government causing him grief. After he had the barn finished, he came in that day and said "Lets see those money grubbing blood sucking bastards land their fat asses here NOW!"

Angela smiled, not from the mirth of the story, but the way TJ had started talking to Jack about this but ended up telling most of it to Booth with a brilliant grin on her face.

Jack stole another glance to Angela, and shook his head and crossed his eyes as he watched this happen.

Booth nodded humorlessly, and bent to the map again. Angela felt a pang of sympathy for TJ, as her grin faltered

"Do you have a plane able to do this for us? Jack can pay for it."

"Me pay? Why ME? ...OK, Me." Jack finished, as Booth's penetrating gaze hit him.

"I know what you need. I got just the thing you need. I got a Beaver for you." TJ said to Booth.

Angela choked on her tea, spitting it all over herself and the floor in front of her.

"You..*cough cough*...you got...*cough cough...gasp*... you got a...*cough cough*...a WHAT?" she gasped out.

Jack had that world class sh*t eating grin on his face.

"Angela...its a plane...she means a de Havilland Beaver...its a bush plane..." Jack's evil grin widened a little more when he said "bush".

"Shut up Jack! OK, its a plane!"

TJ was scarlet , realizing Angela's mistaken thought, and suddenly she wouldn't look at Booth.

"Y...yeah...we got one here..."she stammered, embarrassed. "Its got floats, but wheels on the floats...it's capable of taking off and landing on both land and water. It'll get you there, but there won't be fuel enough to get back...not all the way...you'll have to refuel on the way there to make it back here..."

"Successful or not, we won't be coming back here. If we make it out, we'll head for the nearest place we can land and get away... and leave it there for you. Don't worry, we'll let you know where." Booth said curtly.

"Oh...ok...that's...reasonable...yeah..I guess..." TJ said. She was looking at Booth, clearly crestfallen. No doubt about it, Booth strikes again, Angela thought.

"OK, Jack, you plan a route in and find the nearest possible safe route out and place to land after. Some place we can get land transportation like renting a car, or stealing one if necessary. Thanks TJ, for your help and for the plane. Angela, you come help me get all our stuff. We'll need to put that whole load inside the Beaver...c'mon...lets get moving...and what's so funny? "

"Nothing Booth, nothing, I'm on my way." Angela said.

Again, TJ wouldn't look at Booth. "I'll help you fill the Bea...uh...the plane...you need to have the load put in properly or...Oh God...um...it has to be a balanced load...um...yeah...lets...go..."

She was redder than Angela's nails, and Jack was looking at the map closely, planning their flight, and trying to hide a smirk, as the other filed out toward the hanger where the small plane waited.  



	38. Chapter 38

Brennan lay against the chair, her forehead pressed against the back of it, sobbing. Then she stiffened, turned around, and gazed sightlessly out through the windows. The amazing view went unnoticed.

She came to a sudden decision. No longer would she play the role of helpless victim. No longer would she be swayed into indolence by the posh surroundings or the forcefully charming personality of Alexander.

She had an amazing mind, she knew that. Dammit, it was time to stop feeling sorry for herself and start using it to get her out of here!

She still felt fear and concern for her friends, and especially for Booth, raising up inside her but she beat it back. That wouldn't do her or them any good. She'd have to deal with it, or possibly grieve for them, later. The thought of having to greive for them almost made her blind with fear, but she got a grip on herself. Not now...later, if she had to. Now, she had to get out of here, away from this mad situation, and then she'd find her beloved friends...and her beloved Booth. Come what may, she'd find them...

she walked out of the library, through the walk through closet without even a glance at the wonders of attire there..

She went back into "her" rooms, and started a systematic and thorough search. Going through cupboards, drawers, looking under and behind things for something, anything she could use as a weapon or means of escape..

she went through the kitchen drawers, and thought about maybe taking a knife, but no. Even though she wasn't watched, there was a maid service of sorts, that came in every day and changed the bedding and did general cleanups. She was sure that the number of silverware was something that they'd take note of. There was only enough for her to eat with anyway, so they'd be quickly missed if anything was taken.

There was a bottle of liquid soap detergent, for the occasional times she wanted to do the dishes herself. Hmmm.

She rummaged through the fridge. She came across a large jar of pickles. She remembered looking at the jar before. Shockingly high sodium levels. 3 times more salt then she'd ever want to consume in any food. She hadn't touched them. But now they took her interest. The juice, with its high salt and vinegar content would sure burn the eyes.

She looked at the soap, then the pickles.

She found a small wide mouthed jar of olives in the fridge, dumped them into the disposal unit in the sink, ground them up and away, then filled the jar about 3/4 full with juice from the pickles, then heated it in the microwave and dissolved as much salt as she thought it would take. She squeezed in some of the liquid soap. Then a little more. tested it, a little more, ok, now she was satisfied with it.

Brennan hid it as best she could in the fridge, then went exploring around the rooms with a fresh eye . This time she wasn't admiring the decore. . She didn't know what she was looking for specifically, but like the pickles and soap, she'd know when she found it. She prowled around, looking, looking. Eventually she ended up in the bathroom. she gazed around, looked into the shuge shower stall, and walked towrd it.

Inside, there was the shower head and hot and cold controls, of course. But there was also a set of support bars on one side and on the back f the stall, hand holds for someone with mobility problems maybe. This shower stall must have been originally designed as a generic one that anyone could use, not specifically for her.

She eyed the short bar on the back end of the stall, it was about a foot and a half long. Brennan took a closer look. Screws held the end caps in place. She went to the kitchen and returned with a butter knife, and started working on loosening the screws, trying to use the knife as an improvised screwdriver. . With any luck, if she could work this thing free, she'd have a nice sturdy, easily concealed little club...

TJ lead Booth and the others out to a hanger beside the main building. Inside, she walked up to a smallish, high winged ,one prop plane. "This is it. She'll get you to where you're going."

Jack smiled. "The deHavilland Beaver. Best bush plane ever built. How long have you had her?"

TJ smiled. "My dad has had her for 25 yrs. Other planes come and go, but he hangs on to this one. Most reliable plane we ever had. The one I learned to fly in. You can land on a dime in this thing, and take off from one too, even fully loaded. She's a bit slow, but she'll get you there and back, that's for sure."

"Its an easy plane to fly,"Jack said. "I've flown a few over the years. Really like flown a few with the floats on it like this one, but never one that had the landing wheels built in. How does that affect landing on water?"

The wheels are smallish, smaller than regular landing gear, but the plane handles and lands well on either land or water."

Both were now running their hands over the plane and continued to talk about its handling and characteristics while Booth was throwing their gear inside. Angela watch the two of them smiling at each other and talking for a while then arched her brow warningly and said to Jack, "Are you two going to start kissing? Or maybe kissing the plane? Maybe we can talk all about your pretty little plane when we have more time for it?" she finished saying pointedly to TJ, before stalking around to the side of the plane Booth was on.

TJ covered her mouth and made a silent "OOPS!" face and watched her go as well, then said "Maybe she's right, Jack. If you've flown one of these before, you know pretty much all you need to know about how they handle. . There's some modern instrumentaion on the control panel, we can go over that, but otherwise its pretty much like all the rest. . "

"OK, well, lets go over the controls...quickly" Jack said, eyeing a steaming Angela.

Angela glared at Jack for a moment, then looked at Booth as he stowed the gear. He looked even grimmer now, if that was possible. he got quieter and more intense with every step they took toward thid plane. She supposed the reality of what he had to do was going through his mind. Or maybe the closer they got to Brennan the more he worried for her.

She tried to reassure him ."Don't worry Booth,I'm sure Temp is OK, we'll..." She stopped, the rest of what she was going to say frozen in her throat.

Booth looked back at her, his face grimaced and purple with rage. He spoke to her in a harsh voice that didn't even sound like Booth's. "She better be Angela, she better be, or I swear to God...I'll kill them ALL! If she's...whoever I find in that building, I'll kill them ALL!"

He punished the last piece of gear into the plane, then said angrily to Jack, "Lets get this f*cking thing in the air Jack! NOW!"

TJ Jack and Angela looked at each other, startled. Jack said to himself, , *If I thought he was intense before, I was wrong. Jesus...he can be one scary dude at times, like now.*

Uh, yeah Booth, we have to gas her up, but other than that she's ready to fly..."

Booth walked up with a map, slammed it against the side of the plane, pointed at it, and said to Jack, "OK, Jack, we're here." His finger slide west along the map. "And over here, this is the lake here. Up here above the lake is the place they're holding Brennan. Here's what you're going to do to get me close..."


	39. Chapter 39

TJ had gone over the control panel with Hodgins, no problem there, Jack had used everything this plane carried many times before so he'd be able to handle things easily.

Then TJ had checked the storage area, everything fine there. They wheeled the plane outside and gassed it up, and then they were all set to go.

Angela climbed in and Jack followed, Booth lingered outside, making sure they had all their gear.

TJ looked at Booth and said almost shyly, "I hope things go well for you Booth." She laid a hand on his arm."Be careful. I hope..." she had to stop and take a breath..."I hope you find her and she's OK."

Booth just looked at her and gave a short nod. "Thanks for the plane, we'll get it back to you as soon as we can." He got in, and as TJ stepped back, slammed the door shut. "Lets go Jack!" he ordered.

Angela had watched the short exchange, poor girl, she just didn't seem to realize Booth wasn't even really here, in his mind he was probably half way to the area where Temp was already.

TJ watched the plane taxi away, and thought to herself (as she convinced herself that blowing dust was making her eyes water), that sometimes it was just best not to meet certain people.

She watched the plane take off, and disappear in the distance, then looked around her, the sound of the plane fading to silence. All she heard now was the sound of the breeze in the trees,and the occasional bird, and she felt loneliness and a strange sadness creep over her. She had always been happy here, but now, she felt restless and agitated. She looked longingly in the direction the plane went, then walked slowly back inside the main building. ===========================================================

Anton happened to be on a balcony facing the lake,talking with one of his security men when they heard the sound of a small plane in the distance. The darkness was coming on fast, but he could tell it was heading their way. "Binoculars!" he ordered, sticking his hand out. They were slapped into his hand immediately.

He scanned the eastern sky, the swiftley gathering gloom making spotting a small plane against the backdrop of the huge mountains tough.

"We're not expecting any supplies to be flown in today are we?" he asked his companion.

"Not this late in the day. they always come as early in the day as they can, so they can get back well before dark. Besides, there's nothing schedualed till day after tomorrow."

"There they are!...BAH! I can barely make them out! Go get the night vision goggles, NOW! I have to see if...dammit, there's no time, they're almost to the lake!"

Anton strained to see through the twilight. "Dammit, I can barely make them out. "  
He watched as the plane skimmed across the water, landing...almost coming to a stop, then suddenly applying power and taking off again.

Anton leaned dangerously far over the balcony, straining toward the lake.

"I can't tell...they might have dropped someone...probably Booth." Anton shook his head." This is all going sour like I knew it would...Get the whole team together, we'll set up a line around the building facing the lake, and send a team down to the shore to make a sweep. If you see him, shoot to kill."

The other man quickly shot a shocked look at Anton. "But Alexander said..."

Anton grabbed the front of rthe other man's sweater. "Do as I say! You think he's going to have kind words and handshakes for any of us after what we've done? He's a trained sniper and soldier! He came here on his own, and I don't think he's coming for a vacation! Shoot to KILL! That's an order! We can always claim self defense..maybe. My hope is to be out of this country with enough money that it won't matter. Get the teams together and give the that order! Its time for me to go have a "chat" with Alexander, and his guest. Then we're going to do a withdrawel from the Bank Of Alexander, then we're out of here."

Anton drew his gun and stalked into the building. The other man watched him go, shook his head, and muttered, "I hope to f*ck we get enough out of this to make it worthwile." Then he radioed for the security team...

Angela looked back over the lake as it receded into the distance and looked worriedly at Jack, and said, "Do you think dropping Booth off like that was a good idea? Do you think he'll be OK?"

Jack was silent for a moment. Then said, "If there's any way possible for him to get to Temp, he'll do it. I think I'd be more worried for anyone who gets in Booth's way. If they do, I don't give them much of a chance."

"Now what, what do we do now?"

"We follow Booth's plan. There's a strip of highway to the east we can land on, with little if any traffic on it. We chose the spot carefully. We land, taxi the plane off the road onto a large parking area that a logging company made for its trucks to pull off onto, not used any more, we hang out there for the night, we fly back in at dawn and pick them up."

"What if they're not there?" Angela asked in anguish.

"Booth said if they're not there, they won't be. They didn't make it. We're supposed to take off again and head for the nearest town.."

"Are you going to do that?"

Jack was thoughtful for a monent. "Nope. I'll probably land and go looking for them. They're my friends Ang...I can't just leave and not know what happened to ," Jack continued, pointing with his thumb to the back of the plane, "There's enough firepower still laying back there to take out a small nation. I ain't no terminator, but I ain't no puffball either. I'll use whatever i can carry if I have yeah, I'm gonna go look for them if necessary.'

Angela smiled bleakly. "Good, that's why I packed boots, in case we have to do some walking."

Jack looked about to protest.

"Don't even bother Jack. She's my best friend in the world. I'm going too...do you have a gun I can use?"

"Pretty sure there's a small handgun back there, saw Booth pack it, so ya, I suppose so" Jack said dubiously.

"Is it cute?" Angela asked.

Jack just rolled his eyes and shook his head flew into the night...

=========================================================== Booth crouched, hidden in some undergrowth. Using night vision goggles, he gazed at the building in the distance for a time, then silently moved off into the darkness. He wore the face of a killer...


	40. Chapter 40

LIFE CH40

Anton stalked down a hallway inside the building. He grabbed the arm of one of his passing security guards. He was one of a number of East European ex military personnel that Anton had recruited for his team. Another ex Soviet soldier that had been in service with him. They all fit his mold. Well trained, obedient to him, and money hungry.

"Gregor, get the woman. Tell her this thing is over and we're going to release her. That should make her cooperate. Bring her to the parking garage beneath the building.I'm going to get Alexander and I'll bring him there as well. We're all going to go for a short drive. Hurry, there's not much time."

Gregor nodded curtly. He knew what Anton had in mind instantly. He had been with Anton on and off for years,and knew when needs be, he could be ruthless, and that it was best to obey. He ran off to collect Brennan...

Brennan happened to be standing at her window, looking over the lake, trying to formulate some plan of action for her escape, when she noticed several armed men run across the parking lot and enter vehicles and drive down the twisting road to the valley below with great haste.  
In the gathering darkness, she hadn't seen or heard the plane, but she knew from the sudden urgent activity that something was up. Maybe whatever was distracting everyone would work to her advantage. She hurried to get herself ready.

Anton burst into Alexander's office, and found him there hunched in front of his computer monitor.

"Any luck tracking down our missing "friends"? Anton sneered.

Alexander looked up, puzzled. "No, but shouldn't it be I who asks YOU that?"

"Oh, I think they're closer than you realize. In fact, I think mister Booth is getting VERY close. That being the case, we have some urgent business to attend to."

Alexander was suddenly staring at a deadly looking pistol, aimed at his forehead. He showed surprise, but no fear. "What are you doing, you fool?" he growled.

"Getting myself and my men out of the mess you got us into. Now, get up, and open your safe."

Alexanders eyes glowed dangerously, like those of a cornered wolf. "Don't make any hasty decisions you may not live to regret, Anton."

Waves of anger radiated from Alexander. Anton knew this was not a man to be trifled with, and he had a split second of doubt, but then gathered himself, and ordered Alexander again..."Open the safe! NOW!"

Alexander glared at him, baring his teeth. Anton knew enough not to get to close. Even at his age, he knew Alexander could be a very dangerous man.

Alexander saw no other alternative, he punched in the combination to the huge walk in safe, and opened the door.

"Close it, but don't let it lock again." Anton ordered

Alexander did so. "This isn't how it has to be Anton. You're panicking. You know you'll be well compensated for your work, and I can see to it no charges are aimed at you. Or I can send you to anyplace you desire to go, if you'll just let this play out the way I planned."

"But it ISN'T going the way you planned Alexander! The whole thing has gone to hell, and you're going with it! But you're NOT taking ME with you! Now, we're going to the garage under the building. Move!" Anton motioned toward the door with his gun.

"You're a fool Anton. If you do this, there won't be a place on the planet you'll be able to run to for safety."

"Shut up old man! Get moving! Or I'll blow your brains out right here." Anton cocked the pistol to underline his threat.

Alexander walked toward the door. Anton was careful to keep at least three or four feet of clearance between them, so Alexander couldn't try any sudden attacks. They started down the hallway in the direction of the garage.

Gregor keyed open the lock to Brennan's door, pushed it open with his foot, and entered, pistol held at the ready.

"Dr, Brennan!" he called. You have to come with me."

He entered carefully, and found Brennan standing in front of the windows. She was dressed in a long over sized bathrobe.  
She turned, looking flustered. "What's going on?"

"I have orders to take you to the garage below. Anton says you're to be released. Now, if you please?" Gregor motioned with his head toward the hallway without.

Brennan noted that he kept his pistol surreptitiously at the ready, and that he was very tense. No, she knew letting her go wasn't in the plans. But once outside this pleasant prison, she might be able to do something about that. She nodded, and lead the way from the room.

Gregor watched her warily, but not fearfully. She didn't look very dangerous, dressed in a bathrobe. He had heard about the trouble she had caused during her capture, but put that down to the ineptness of the captures. She was no small woman, that's why she caused them grief no doubt. But now she looked scared and hands figeted nervously inside her sleeves as she seemed to hug herself.

Gregor took a step back as she was about to pass. Brennan stopped, her hand suddenly going to her chest and her fingers laying on the skin between her breasts, that now showed somewhat as the bathrobe slipped open slightly. She said, "Oh please, may I go back and get my necklace? I've forgotten it and it means a great deal to me. I feel naked without it."

She turned toward Gregor and smiled and pointed toward the bedroom, and as she turned the bathrobe opened a bit more to show the swell of her breasts. Gregor's eyes involuntarily flicked down, and when that happened, a liquid was suddenly splashed in his face!

Brennan had moved with blinding speed, her other hidden hand shooting out from the inside of her sleeve and disgorging the liquid from the small jar full into the face of the guard.

He instantly backed away and wiped at his eyes, but the slightly gooy mixture stuck and oozed on his face, and into his eyes that he couldn't help but open to try to locate Brennan. He blinked furiously and screamed a Russian oath as it burned his eyes and wouldn't stop. Gods! He couldn't get it out! He couldn't see! He raised his pistol to fire blindly but before he could Brennan brained him. hammering at his hand then his head repeatedly with the metal bar she had whipped out from under her bathrobe. He fell, unconscious.

Brennan picked up the pistol, checked the clip and thumbed off the safety. She threw off the bathrobe, to reveal herself wearing dark form fitting jeans and nothing else. She looked down at her chest and said, "Thanks girls, you never let me down." She quickly skipped inside the room and slipped on a dark t-shirt, sweater and jacket, pulled on some socks and boots, and then stepped carefully past the guard, went out, pistol held ready with both hands. She looked up and down the hallway, picked a direction, and moved as quickly and as silently as she was able to, and hoped she could find a way out before someone found her.


	41. Chapter 41

Anton marched Alexander through the corridors of the building, going down and down through the floors, always taking the stairs.

Anton wouldn't risk being in the enclosed space of an elevator with Alexander. He knew from working for Alexander for a few years now that the old man was surprisingly vital, not to mention strong, for his age. Best to take the stairs and maintain a safe distance from him. Anton never got any closer then five feet, , never further than six from Alexander's back. And always the pistol was trained on the old man's back.

When they came to a corner in the corridors, Anton would order Alexander to stop well short of it and he would work his way against the far wall to the outside of the corner till he could see down it, then he'd order Alexander to proceed. he was taking no chances at all that Alexander might try to run for it around a corner, or disappear around it and double back and try to jump him. It was time consuming, but necessary.

Eventually they made their way around a final corner on the bottom floor, and came to the doorway to the parking garage under the building. It was a large heavy aluminum and glass door similar to what one might see on a store front, and it was flanked on either side by large windows. One could look out and see most of the garage space beyond.

"Gregor!" Anton called loudly. No answer. "GREGOR!" Anton called again impatiently. He fumbled for the radio on his belt, never taking his eyes off Alexander.

"Someone late for an appointment?" Alexander growled like an angry wolf,the look of seething hatred he regarded Anton with making him look more and more like that very animal. If Anton hadn't been distracted by tying to contact Gregor, he might have noticed the fire building in Alexander's eyes, how he subtly tensed as if to leap. Had he noticed, Anton would have been even more cautious than he had been. .

Alexander had no intention of walking through that door. He knew that way was death.

Fine. He wasn't moving another inch to Anton's orders. Death and him were old companions, they had had many brushes in the past, Alexander always coming out the winner. If this was finally Death's turn to win, so be it. He'd meet it head on, with courage and sinew and even teeth, if that's what it took. This was going to be his final stand. He wouldn't die being ordered around by this bastard, he woudln't die on his knees, getting a bullet in the back of his head from this f*cking greedy coward. He'd die taking as much of Anton with him as he could. Maybe he wouldn't prevail, but he promised whatever God or God's might be watching, before he died he'd give that Russian bastard some scars he'd carry to his grave.

Anton finally gave up trying to reach Gregor. Something must have happened. Fine, he'd take the old man out to a vehicle and put a bullet in his brain and stuff him in the trunk, then go for the woman, and blow her brains out as well. . So much for trying to be neat about things.

Anton waved his gun toward the door. "Move it old man, get out there."

"No."

"Move it, or I'll blow you away right here!" Anton warned, aiming the pistol at Alexander's heart.

"Don't miss" Alexander snarled. "Because if you do you're going to lose some body parts, the only direction I'm going in from now on is for your throat!"

Alexander, fully prepared to dive into a hail of deadly bullets, thought a quick and final prayer. "If only I can get my hands on Anton's throat before I die. If I can't beat him, at least let me feel his windpipe crush beneath my fingers before I go."

Anton's finger tightened on the trigger as Alexander tensed to make his leap. Suddenly Alexander's eyes widened and glanced over Anton's shoulder involuntarily.

Anton, quickly realizing someone was behind him, stepped to the side and swung around to meet this new threat, just as Tempreance Brennan hit his midsection with her shoulder like a linebacker making a tackle!

Brennan had made her way through the corridors and had almost run right into Anton and Alexander as she did. She had avoided elevators as well, but for a different reason. She couldn't bear that thought of the doors sliding open and security guards standing there with weapons aimed at her, if she ran into trouble she wanted to at least have a chance to avoid it or fight or run.

In doing this, she chose a way through the building that lead her on a collision course with the two men. Luckily Anton had ordered Alexander to stop as they came up to the same corner Brennan was approaching. She heard them in time to retreat back down the corridor and around another corner.  
She opened a door with a master keycard that she had luckily had the forethought to lift off the unconscious guard as she took his gun, and slipped inside what turned out to be an electrical room. She inched the door open as the men approached, and she watched them take the stairs downward. She waited till they disappeared, then quietly started to tail them.

She followed them down several flight till they disappeared around that final corner. She heard them start to talk, and slid silently up to the corner. By the way the conversation was going, she knew Anton was about to kill Alexander on the spot. .

As Anton made his final threat, and Alex snarled out his answer, Brennan risked a peek around the corner. Anton's back was to her his gun raised . Alexander about 5 ft ahead of him, just beside a large mostly glass door.

Brennan brought the gun up, ready to fire into Anton's back, and walked out from around the corner, and pulled the trigger...and nothing happened! She hadn't taken the safety off!

Before she could rectify that, Alexander had seen her and that had tipped off Anton, who started to turn. Brennan didn't hesitate an instant, she was about 5 strides away from Anton and already at a full run when he started to turn, and she hit him with everything she had, leading with the gun swinging at his wrist and then her shoulder in his side!

Antons gun went flying, and to Brennan he felt like she was tackling a tree trunk when she hit him, but she was no small girl, and in great shape, so there was a considerable collision when their bodies met. Anton had lost his gun, and several other items flew from his belt, but he didn't quite lose his feet.

He staggered back, but not far, and as Brennan tried to get to her feet, he hit her across the face with a vicious backhand blow, sending her flying into the door, which swung open and she fell through to the other side from the force of the blow.  
Brennan, her face stinging and her head buzzing, instantly forced herself to her feet and made for the door, hoping to get back at Anton before he could retrieve his gun, but as she reached up and opened it, Anton exploded through the opening, a snarling, teeth bared Alexander clawing at his throat.

Anton had been slightly stunned by Brennan's attack, after he hit her through the door he had turned to retrieve his pistol, only to have Alexanders stone hard fist crash into his face! Anton staggered back, stunned, then suddenly had a snarling spitting biting banshee clutching at his throat! He threw Alexander off with a desperate push, saw his gun, and didn't make even one step for it before Alexander hit him in the chest with a tackle like an incoming missile, and they crashed through the open door and into Brennan, Alexander doing his best to crush the life out of Anton before they hit the ground.

The collision with Brennan made them all go down in a heap. They all quickly leaped to their feet, Anton furthest from the door, Alexander and Brennan just outside it.

Anton stood, wiped the blood from his nose, and growled, "I'll kill you both with my bare hands."

Alexander stood, suddenly grinned, grabbed Brennan by the arm and dragged her back through the door. He smiled a cold, deadly smile at Anton. "Not today, Anton, not ever. You are done." he closed and locked the door.

"FOOL!" Anton spit out, as he took out a small pistol that he had strapped around his ankle. I have a keycard that opens all doors to this place, you won't escape me for long."

"I don't have to escape you, Anton. YOU have to escape HIM!..."

Alexander motioned for Anton to look over his shoulder.

Anton did a sideways step and looked...to see Booth, clad in black military garb, aiming an M4 carbine at his forehead...

"There you are..you f*cking Russian pig bastard" Booth said with distinct relish...

Brennan whispered "Booth" as she looked through the glass. Alexander patted her on the shoulder. "There you have it, did I not promise you Anton would be punished for his deeds?

Again, Brennan whispered, "Booth"...


	42. Chapter 42

Alexander quickly pressed some buttons on a control panel on the wall beside the near window, and Brennan heard the snicking of locks closing, and heard the rumble of the huge doors of the garage closing. He quickly punched in a code as soon as they were down, , then stood back and said, "That will keep Anton's men at bay for a goodly time, giving me a chance to call off those dogs. I feel they will be leaderless soon enough. . And this door is now locked. Things shall play out as they should,uninterrupted"

Out in the garage, Anton gaped at Booth. "How did you..?"

"Parachuted into the hills behind this location, got Jack to land the plane on the lake down there as a diversion. Now, shut up. And slowly drop the gun." Booth said, his voice dripping danger.

Anton didn't move, but his grip tightened on the pistol.

"Drop the weapon." Booth warned again. "Or I'll fire. " The silancer equipped muzzle of the carbine was aimed at Anton's forhead, slightly above and between his eyes.

Anton didn't move..

*PFFT!* The silencer spit fire. Anton felt a bullet pass less than an inch from his head.

"DROP, the weapon!" Booth growled again.

Anton still made no move to comply. "Why should I? You'll just kill me anyway, why go out weaponless?"

*PFFT!* Again the carbine spit fire, and again Anton felt the bullet pass, even closer this time...when blood dripped from his scalp and down his cheek from where the bullet grazed his forehead, he realized how close.

"If I meant to kill you, you'd be dead already. Now...drop the weapon...last warning. Next bullet scrambles your brains and pastes them to the wall behind you. Drop...the...weapon. Place it down, and kick it away...now."

Booth's voice was chilling and deadly in its warning. He never raised his voice above normal talking levels, but the message of death in it was delivered loud and clear. Anton knew Booth would kill him if he didn't drop the pistol. The carbine was aimed steadily and unwaveringly between his eyes again. The former Russian soldier, now private security adviser, did not have the same intestinal fortitude that Alexander was willing to show in a similar situation. . Sweating slightly, still dripping blood, he carefully placed the weapon at his feet, and kicked it well away from himself.

"What do you mean to do with me?" Anton asked, angry at himself that he couldn't keep his voice steady when he said that.

Booth backed up, never taking his eyes off Anton, then suddenly dropped the barrel of the carbine and carefully stood the rifle butt down against a close by pillar. He shrugged off his back pack, took off a belt holding various items, and stepped away from it all, now only clad in black night assault clothing.

Booth answered in almost a joyful and conversational way.

"What do I plan to do with you Anton? I plan on taking you apart with my bare hands, that's what I plan on doing with you. A bullet is too quick and too good for you. I saw what you did to Bones when you took her. I saw what you did to her just now, you f*cking bastard! I know what you're capable of doing to those weaker than you. I don't think you'd give a second thought to killing them both or anyone else that got in your way. I'm going to see to it that you never do that to anyone ever again."

Anton grinned. Fool! Booth was playing right into his hands! He's tear the stupid FBI agent apart, then grab his weapons, and make short work of the rest.

As Booth spoke, he slowly advanced on Anton with fluidly smooth motions. Brennan, watching Booth and Anton through the window, and even though worried for Booth to the point of panic, could not help making the mental comparison of a black leopard stalking its prey.

She knew that Booth was well trained in hand to hand combat, but Anton must have had 3 inches of height and 50 pounds of muscle on Booth. She called through the glass. "Booth! Don't be a fool! You have him, get your gun and we can tie him up or something!" BOOTH!"

She felt Alexander's hand on her shoulder again, and as Booth and Anton circled each other warily, he said . "You don't understand Ms. Brennan. He HAS to do this. Anton must pay, and I believe he will."

"Testosterone driven BULLS*T!" Brennan spat at Alexander. "Its unnecessarily dangerous! Booth had him and now he's giving him a chance to get away if he fails, and possibly get himself killed! Alpha male CRAP! Dammit, you caused all this and now Booth could be killed because of you!" Brennan accused. "Open the door and shoot that Russian bastard!"

Alexander instead took the pistols laying about, took out the clips and emptied them, and tossed everything away.

"I think its best we don't interfere. And Doctor Brennan, I admit, things have spun out of control. Who could have foreseen the violence of your capture? That went terribly wrong. Who could have foreseen your friends being so resourceful and getting here so quickly? Who could have foreseen Anton going mad like he has? He had never given a sign of such a thing before. I do take blame for that, I'm usually a much better judge of character."

"And admit it Dr. Brennan, won't you gain a great measure of satisfaction seeing Anton beaten to a pulp beneath Mr. Booth's fists?"

Brennan shook her head at such didn't care about any of that! All she wanted was for this to be over and for Booth to be safe and for her to be able to hold him in her arms!

"Life is precious, love even more so, TRUE love the rarest and most precious thing of all! It is only when it is all at risk that we truly come to value it." Alexander murmured, watching as the two men outside jockeyed for an opening. He squeezed Brennan's shoulder in an oddly comforting way. "To have life endangered, and especially love, makes one open their eyes to it, to finally accept it,savor it...realize its true value, don't you think, Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan watched with absolute worry through the window, but she heard Alexander's words, and her brow knit in puzzlement as much as anxiety. What did he mean, open their eyes to what? Accept...what?

But the thought evaporated away as the two men suddenly came together in a rush and thudding tangle of limbs! 


	43. Chapter 43

Anton charged in at Booth, aiming his shoulder at Booth's chest,figuring his bulk and heavier weight would overwhelm Booth as it had so many others. Every other man he had ever faced in hand to hand combat had fallen under his skilled yet brutal attacks.

Anton believed that Booth thought, being the smaller and quicker man, that he could attempt to evade or escape Anton's attack by some slick maneuver. Well let him try, he had faced such things before with no trouble. He'd squash booth like a bug.

Anton charged ahead, ready for almost anything.

What he wasn't ready for was a Booth who was afire with long pent up frustration and anger and now fury over having just seen what Anton had done to Brennan.

Anton also neglected to remember that Booth was a bloodied veteran of wars, giving him experience Anton had never seen. Anton, though a member of the Russian military, had spent most of his time as a detention specialist, and had never fought anyone but on a practice field or maybe a drunken soldier or an over matched convict. Like most big bullies, he preferred his targets smaller, amd weaker. He thought himself an experienced fighter, and with his strength and height advantage, more than a match for Booth.

And so they charged each other, like two bulls on a collision course. Anton, intent on knocking Booth flat to the floor with his bulk, Booth, wanting to tear Anton limb from limb.

Booth made no effort to evade or dodge, he met Anton's charge head on.

Anton didn't know what hit him.

He reached for Booth's head with his beefy hands as they closed in on each other, intent on twisting it off Booth's shoulders, and then suddenly he was sitting on the floor,head buzzing, blood pouring from his even more smashed nose once again. He looked back over his shoulder, dazed, and saw Booth standing there, poised on the balls of his feet.

"What's the matter Russian Pig!" Booth sneered. "Don't know how to handle a real man? Used to beating up old men and woman and kids?"

Anton got to his feet, snarling a Russian oath. He wiped the blood from his face, and turned toward Booth again, and with far more caution started circling him like an old lion trying to face down a panther.  
"You'll see what I do to you when I get my hands on you!" Anton rumbled.

Booth beckoned him in. "C'mon big man, show me what you got!"

Anton circled, circled, then suddenly sprang for Booth's legs with surprising speed.

He missed, grasping nothing but air where Booth had been!  
"The bastard dodged this time!" Anton thought in frustration. . With a thud Anton ended up flat on his belly on the hard garage floor.

He sprang back up. "Hold still you..." he muttered.

Booth, still poised and unmarked, beckoned him again. "Come Anton, lets dance."

Anton's hand quickly disappeared then reappeared out of his clothing, and he was suddenly holding a short,T-handeled, lethal looking knife that stuck out between the middle fingers of his right hand.

"The only dancing you'll do is a death dance as I gut you!" Anton purred, again confident.

Booth stood,silent and intent now, as Anton circled and shuffled menacingly closer and closer, then sprang, aiming the knife in a ripping blow at Booth's mid section.  
Booth melted sideways to Anton's right as he struck, Anton's knife missing Booth's stomach by fractions of an inch. The force of the attempt carried Anton past Booth, and Booth crushed his left elbow into Anton's face as his momentum carried him past Booth's body.  
Anton crumbled, gargling blood, and Booth chopped at his forearm with a flat hand, deadening Anton's hand and loosening his grip on the knife. Booth stomped the arm to the floor and took up the knife as it fell from Anton's grip.

He circled his arm around Anton's neck from behind, applying a strangling, python like grip to Anton's throat. He squeezed, Rendering Anton almost unconscious., and placed the knife against Anton's skin, just below his ear. ! "Now, Russian pig, you're going to pay with your blood."

"No Booth, no!No no NOOOO!"Brennan screamed through the window. She look desperately at Alexander. "Let me out, let me out now before Booth does something he'll regret all his days. PLEASE! Let me out Alexander!"

Alexander looked at her, and said something confusing as he pointed behind her: "That elevator,top floor, off the elevator turn right, go to the end of the hallway to the door there." Then he punched in a code and the door opened and Brennan rushed out.

"BOOTH!" she screamed desperately, as she rushed up to the entangled, bloody pair. "Booth DON'T"

"Bones...he has to pay..."

"Not like this...Booth, you don't want his filthy blood on your hands..on your soul. Don't do this, please, for God's sake, please don't. He's not worth it!Its not what you do now! Not now! Please Booth, for me, don't. Please don't..."

Booth hesitated. "You're right, he isn't worth murder. Even if he deserves it." Booth loosened his grip on Anton, and took the knife away from his neck. "We'll have to tie him u...ARRGH!" As soon as Booth let go, Anton's hand shot up and his thumb gouged at Booth's eye. Booth fell back, dropping the knife, and Anton scooped it up and shouted triumphantly , "Now I'm going to GUT the both of you where you stand you GUUUHHHHHAAAGGH!"

Anton suddenly stiffened, quivering where he stood for a good ten seconds before suddenly relaxing and dropping to the ground. He squirmed weakly, then suddenly stiffened again, a whimpering moan shuddering from between foaming lips.

"How's that feel you f*cking B*STARD!" Brennan said loudly, as she pulled the trigger on Anton's own taser, which he had dropped in the struggle with she and Alexander, a third time.

Booth, holding a hand over his bruised eye, watched with interest for a few seconds, then suggested, "Toast him again Bones, I don't think he's quite done yet."

Anton whimpered a desperate appeal, shaking his head no, , then stiffened again, now only a slight gurgle issuing from his foaming lips. Booth stood up and went to Brennan, watched a little longer, then gently took the Taser from her hand, then leaned down and hogtied Anton hand and foot with large nylon cable tie-like cuffs . "Ok,he's done now. OK! Who ordered the villain, medium to well..." Booth looked down..." to REALLY well done? Hey Bones, nice of you to help. Kinda hard to stop once you get started villain bashing, huh? "

Brennan looked up into Booth's brown eyes, one of which was a watering, bloodshot mess. He was grimy with black camouflage and dirt and blood, and he so beautiful. "Oh Booth! She breathed, as she jumped up and circled his neck with her arms, and applied a hold just as strangulating as the one Booth had earlier applied to Anton.

Booth crushed her too him, and for a time they held each other so tightly neither of them could breath, and neither of them cared.

Booth eased his grip, and brushed the hair from Brennan's tear streaked face and asked, Where's Alexander? This isn't over yet!"

Brennan, still holding on tight and with her face buried against Booth's chest, , who smelled of sweat and dirt, inhaled his delicious and oh so missed scent, then looked up ay Booth and her brows knitted. "I think he told me, lets go find him."

Booth nodded, reluctantly disentangled Brennan from him, bent to check that Anton was bound securely, straightened, kicked him in the ribs very hard, then walked arm in arm with Brennan towrd the door and the elevator beyond, as Brennan recited to him the odd directions Alexander had given her...

"He knows we're coming then" Booth said, as he snatched up his rifle and other gear as they passed them.

So it would seem, but I don't think he means us any harm now."

"I might mean him harm," Booth growled, as he punched the button, and the elevator doors closed.

The elevator whispered almost silently upward, carrying the two, still arm in arm, toward Alexander, and a final meeting. 


	44. Chapter 44

Jack had landed the Beaver at the location he and Booth had chosen, and taxied off the road to the rest area. The sun was almost down, and they made ready to sleep in the plane.

Jack woke just as the eastern sky was brightening, and he woke Angela. She sat up and shivered.

"Gosh, its so cold!" She said as she looked out onto the frost covered ground outside. "What happened to the heat?"

"TJ says that can happen up here." Jack said. "Pretty high latitude here, and generally high altitude, arctic circle is a lot closer. There's even been snowstorms this time of year up here. Then the next day it can be over 70 degrees.."

Angela made a sour face at the mention of the curvatious blond, but then her features became serious and she said, "We should get going, don't you think, Jack?"

"Yeah" Jack said, equally serious. "The earlier the better...could be a long day." He started up the plane, and waited anxiously while the it warmed up, and as soon as he was able, he took off and they headed West,toward Alexander's amazing and incongruous lair.

At that same moment Booth and Brennan had just stepped out of the elevator, Booth with his rifle at the ready, leading the way into the empty corridor beyond. It was empty, just lined with windows facing west, showing the lightening morning sky,and a door at the far end.

Booth whispered to Brennan to follow behind her, and to be as quiet as possible. He headed down the hallway cautiously, scanning for booby traps or other hidden dangers.

When they reached the door, he held up his hand to Brennan telling her to stop, then listened carefully at the door.

Brennan said, "I don't think he's going to do anything to us Booth, I mean, he could have killed me a dozen times just standing by the door to the garage.."

Booth grimaced. "Jeeeeez Bones, so much for the element of surprise..or caution!"

"I just think he has some other motive than murder...other than the botched abduction, which wasn't really his fault, and holding me captive, he didn't mistreat me in any way. Quite the opposite, he was a gracious and generous and entertaining host."

Booth stared at her in disbelief. "F*ck Bones, are you nuts?" He just shook his head, scanned the door for possible traps anyway, motioned Brennan back a half dozen paces, then gripped the handle to the door, and in one quick motion flung it open while jumping back and to the side while raising his rifle to firing position.

The room was deserted.

It was a large corner office, expensively but tastefully and simply appointed, with a large desk centered across the room,opposite the door, facing it. The huge windows of the room looked West and North, giving a sweeping and almost overwhelming view of the mountains and valley. Brennan found herself again staring at the amazing and almost hypnotic vista, and Booth, scanning the room, had to struggle not to do the same.

"I can see why he chose this place" Brennan said just above a whisper. "The beauty and power of this place touches your soul." Her tone was almost religious. Booth, now satisfied that Alexander wasn't here, lowered his rifle and looked at Brennan quizzically.

"Soul? I thought you didn't believe in such things Bones?".

Brennan looked back at him strangely, and said even more strangely. "This place can change a person Booth."

Booth cocked his head to the side like someone trying to understand something they just couldn't get a handle on, then shook his head and said "We have to find Alexander. There must be a hidden door against one of these windowless walls, he must have gone..."

"Booth, look at this." Brennan said from the desk. She was pointing at a laptop sitting there, it was on, and next to the laptop a picture Alexander looked back at them, a genial grin wrinkling his features. He was holding a note that could be clearly read, that said "Type in Dr. Brennan's favorite phrase, then push enter" and he was pointing down, supposedly at the keyboard.

The laptop was waiting for a password.

"Favorite phrase? But...that could be anything Booth! How are we supposed to know what he means? I say a lot of things! This might be impossible! Maybe he's trying to buy time again! Maybe we should go find him first! We could be here forever trying to figure out...oh."

Both watched her talk for a moment, then leaned to the computer and typed in "I don't know what that means." then pressed "enter". They watched as the laptop started working.

Alexander's face came on the screen, and he had that same friendly, inviting grin on his face as in the picture beside the laptop. Booth decided he must have taken that and printed it off that day, maybe just minutes before they got there.

There was a video playing now, and it showed Alexander clapping his hands joyfully ."Mr Booth! I'm confident you prevailed and since you're watching this now, I know you have. No one else would know the "Code phrase."" Alexander chuckled gustily. "Oh, I have called off the rest of those dogs of Anton's. I told them that Anton was no longer my head of security, and to go to the nearest town, where they will be paid a generous severance package, and given tickets out of the country and that they had better leave before charges are laid against them all. They will scatter like what they are, so many startled mangy jackals!" Alexander gave a deep, gusty and joyous laugh at this, and some reason Booth found himself struggling not to like this guy.

"He's very likable." Brennan stated.

"Stockholm Syndrome Bones?" Booth said.

"Don't be a moron Booth,I am not that easily swayed. But you have to admit, he's just very...likable."

Booth, having only met the man briefly in that weird encounter at the diner, then here through the laptop, had to agree that the man did possess a force of character that was his brows knit, as Alexander started talking, and changing clothes!

"I have a message for you two." Alexander said as he started changing to...what to Booth looked like heavy winter clothing and...climbing gear?

"I have a message, and I'm after all you've gone through, maybe you will realize some things, and you MUST listen and understand!" Alexander said this like a scolding teacher, as he wagged his finger accusingly at them from the laptop.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Booth asked Brennan.

"Guess we'll find out now." Brennan said, as they bent to listen to the rest of the message... 


	45. Chapter 45

Down in the parking garage, Anton was now conscious and struggling futilely with his bonds, when he heard the door that Booth and Brennan had recently gone through open then close,followed by hurried footsteps crossing the floor.

Taking a chance, he called out in Russian, "Hey, help me here!"

Gregor stopped, then came over to Anton, one side of his face showing a large a purple welt. He bent down to Anton. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"That FBI bastard got the drop on me from behind!" Anton lied."I see the female did the same to you!" he added with disdain. "Get me out of these things Gregor And then we'll go kill that FBI piece of sh*t!"!"

Gregor crouched beside Anton thoughtfully for a moment or two, then spoke softly.  
"No, Anton, WE will not. Me? I'm getting out of this before it gets any worse." Gregor tapped the radio on his belt. "Alexander has offered us each a half million dollars U.S. to pack up and get out of can play out your little vendetta if you wish, but I want no more of it " He stood as if to leave.

"You worthless BASTARD!" Anton spit venomously. "If it wasn't for me you'd be pushing a vegetable cart in that wasteland you call a home! Is this how you repay me? Gregor! Listen to me! You can have 10 times that amount if you just stick with me a few more hours!"

Gregor stood there, his face unreadable in the poor lighting. Then he took a knife from his belt.

"Good boy Gregor, you won't be sorry...what the hell are you doing?" Anton finished angrily.

Gregor tossed the knife to the ground beside Anton. "This gives you a chance to free yourself Anton. I owe you that much. But I'm through being one of your lap dogs. Dead men don't get to enjoy life. You're on your own now. I haven't done anything really all that wrong yet, none of us have except for you and Demitri and Stefan in your botched up abduction. And Stefan and Demitri have been sent away already by Alexander, god knows where. I heard something about Siberia, but maybe that's just rumor, or a joke...though with Alexander, who knows?"

"The rest of us have just been doing our jobs here, so I'm taking what I can get out of this and leaving with the others. They're all right outside waiting in a truck to leave Anton, do the smart thing and come with us. " Gregor crouched back down beside Anton, and said carefully to him, "If you were smart, you'd follow me. He offered you the same deal."

Anton spit in his face. "You coward! Get out of my sight you worthless piece of trash! I'll get free and go after that bastard myself!"

Gregor wiped his face, and said, "You're mad Anton. But suit yourself." Then he got up, turned on his heel and left without so much as a look back.

Anton struggled for many minutes, then finally freed himself. He went through the glass door, gathered up the parts to the weapons Alexander had scattered around there, and avoiding the elevator, headed up the stairwell. Muttering to himself, "They'll head for Alexander's office. I'll kill them there and stuff their worthless dead carcasses into the safe after I empty it." He started climbing the stairs, a gun in each hand and the wild look of madness in his eye.

Bare minutes earlier, Jack had landed the Beaver on the lake, and taxied across the water to a dock on the near shore to the huge building perched far above. No Brennan and Booth. No one at all, in fact. He and Angela got out, Jack carrying a rifle similar to Booth's, and a small pistol. He handed this to Angela.

"Guess we have to go hunting for them, Ang. Now look, here's the safety, click it here to fire. Just point and shoot. It'll kick a little but not much I think. Here, take it."

Angela took it as if Jack was handing her a squirming bag of poisonous snakes.

"No, hold it like this. Point it like this...God Angela,I think you'd be better off throwing rocks at the bad guys. OK, just don't shoot me in the back as we walk up there, alright? "

"Well, I'm not going into this unarmed jack!"

"Fine" Jack said. "Lets get moving, it looks like a loooong walk up to that..."

Just as he started saying that a large truck tore down the last curve to the dock and screeched to a halt. At least 12 armed men got out, maybe more, and started running for the dock. Jack, though he was armed, froze. Angela gripped his shoulder in fear.

"They got us, Angela, there's just too many off them." Jack said desperately...then watched stunned as the men started dropping weapons and running past them to the plane."

"Hey, you pilot? You fly us out?" one of them yelled in a heavy accent.

"Uh, no, I'm staying...we're staying." he called back.

"Fine, we have own pilot." Another man got behind the controls, and all the men piled into the Beaver.

"Hey...HEY! You're overloaded!" Jack called to them, but they ignored him, and taxied away from the dock, and started the run for a takeoff.

Jack, remembering a scene about an overloaded boat from the movie Jaws, did a fair imitation of Richard Dreyfuss's character as he turned away and muttered "Ha ha ha...they're all gonna die."

Then he looked at the big truck and said, "Well Ang, looks like we got us a ride."

They got in the truck, and before he started it up, Jack watched the little overloaded Beaver racing heavily toward the far end of the lake. "They're all gonna die.." he repeated, then watched open mouthed as the plane struggled into the air, gained altitude, and headed East. He shook his head in admiration. "The only plane that small and that overloaded that could make that takeoff is a Beaver. Great little plane."

"You DO want to kiss it, don't you Jack?" Angela said with mock jealousy.

Jack just grinned at her, started the truck up, and they began the long climb the top of the road, where in that huge building, they hoped to find Booth and Brennan safe.

Jack and Angela made it to the building, entered the garage area through a door they found standing open, and then carefully made their way through the garage and eventually went through that same door that not ten minutes earlier the big Russian had gone through.

"Where should we start?" Angela asked. "Its such a big building."

"I dunno" Jack replied. "I'm no swat team guy. Maybe the best thing to do is start at the top and work our way down. Lets get started."

But being inexperienced in such things, they took the elevator, and in much the same way Brennan had earlier done, they put themselves on an inevitable collision course with the dangerously armed and definitely out of his mind Anton.

=========================================================== "Now listen you two, I don't have much time." Alexander said as he continued to dress himself for what Booth thought could only be climbing.

"You two are wasting something between you that is far more rare than anyone thinks."

"Wasting what?" Brennan asked allowed.

"Love, Dr. Brennan, Mr,. Booth, should not be wasted. . You're wasting so much time and so much love and so much togetherness...and so much FUN, with your stupid excuses of work related rules and regulations!"

Booth started visibly, then looked against the side wall of the room they were in, then at the laptop, then back at the wall. It was mostly blank, no decorations or paintings, which was odd. It matched the wall that Alexander stood against as he made this message, but there were subtle differences. Booth leaned closer to the screen, and said, "What the hell?...This is a LIVE feed! Alexander, you can hear us can't you? "

"Indeed, I can!" Alexander said with a huge grin and a deep laugh of genuine humor. "You ARE very quick and more intelligent than many, including yourself, give you credit for Mr. Booth!"

"I thought perhaps I had more time before you figured that out, but such is 's why I took the liberty of setting timed locks on all the exits. We need a little more time before you try to come and wring my neck, Mr. Booth! HAHAHAHAHA!"

That laugh wasn't the laugh of a victorious madman, or a criminal who had just trapped his quarry, it was just a genuine laugh, coming from deep within Alexander, that was filled with good humor and Joie de vivre. So much so that Booth's lips almost twitched into a smile himself. Brennan was grinning broadly. "I told you he was likable, didn't I Booth?"

"Sure, the mastermind behind your abduction and luring me here and breaking God knows how many laws in two countries is a SWELL guy!" Booth said with outward sarcasm, as inwardly he struggled mightily not to like Alexander.

"So what's the deal here, Alexander? Why go through all this? What's this all about?" Booth asked pointedly.

"As I've said, Mr. Booth, I haven't much time."

"You're not going anywhere till you tell me what this was all about!" Booth said with anger.

"Calm yourself, Mr. Booth, calm yourself."

Alexander's face grew serious. "I mean to explain everything now. What I meant about not having much time was NOT that I was about to run out on you. No, Mr. Booth, what I simply meant was that I am dying..." 


	46. Chapter 46

Brennan leaned toward the computer. "Alex? What do you mean you're dying?"

Booth raised his eyebrows, noting that she sounded genuinly concerned. And "Alex"? Interesting how this guy grew on even the most intelligent and careful of people, Booth mused.

"Its degenerative, and slow, but will inevitably leave me a broken twisted wreck, strapped into a wheelchair with a feeding tube through my nose long before it takes me. The signs are barely visible so far, but they are there."

"What is it Alex? Surely it can be treated! Maybe there's someone somewhere that can help you?"

"HAHAHAHAAAA" Alexander threw his head back and laughed. "Oh my dear, do you not think I have explored every option available to someone with my resources?" He waved it away with that unconsciously imperial gesture of his. "What it is isn't important."

"What it does IS of import though. No, there is no cure for this, , only long lingering death. But not for Alexander! I have my plans. I plan on meeting Death on my feet! A bottle of the finest wine in my hand, and I will either offer that old bastard a drink, or I will spit in his eye, I haven't decided yet! HAHAHAHAJHAHAAAA!" Alexander finished this statement with that deep, genuine and highly infectious laugh, almost as if there was a sense of expectant joy in his words.

"Alexander, I'm sorry to hear about this", Booth said. Surprisingly, he WAS sorry. "But can we get back to the reason we two are here now?" he finished, indicating Brennan and himself.

"WHY? It is because you two are in love! But you choose to fight it! Ignore it! Dismiss it. Why? Because of stupid rules? Because of FEAR?" He seemed to look at Brennan as he spoke those words.

"You are both fools...FOOLS!" Alexander said, the force of his personality coming at them in waves, even through the small screen of the laptop.

"Let me tell you a story. It is about myself, and ties into the reason you are here. It won't take long,I promise you, I don't like to bore people."

Booth glanced at Brennan and whispered, "Bore us? I don't think that's possible for him to do at all, huh Bones?"

She smiled silently at him and shook her head no.

"All my life," Alexander began, "I've found it distressingly easy to make money. For the first 35 years of my life, money, wealth and power were my family, my mistresses, my entire life. I worked round the clock at it and by the time I reached 35, I was a multi-millionaire, quickly working my way to being a billionaire! . I had made it a rule in my life, my only true love was to be my wealth, my only ambition was more...more..always more! I was faithful to that rule,as if I were married to it, instead of a woman. I was always working to never stray from it no matter what might block my path. But then... I met HER!"

Alexander's gaze seemed to turn inward. "Her name was Helen. And just like the Helen of the ancient greek stories, she was incomparably beautiful. She was glorious in every way. Beautiful, intelligent, talented, witty, and she fell in love with ME! NOT with my wealth, as so many before had. But with ME! My money and power meant nothing to her!

"But I courted her like I did my companies. Aggressively, ruthlessly, throwing money and presents at her. That all meant nothing to her. I would hand her a ring or a necklace or earrings worth a king's ransom, and she'd say it was a pretty bauble, sit it aside carelessly and ask me how my day had gone."

"I loved her desperately, fiercely, but not enough to give her my entire heart. My heart was just as consumed with pursuing more wealth, more power, and in my greed I let it consume me. ...eventually that hunger for more more, and always more drove her from me. I drove her away...Oh God..." Alexander seemed on the verge of tears.

Suddenly he seemed to gather himself, looked out of the screen at them and grinned. "Yes, it DOES sound disturbingly like Mr. Scrooge and how he conducted his life and loves. I learned that too late. And yes, she was a rare creature, and even rarer was her love for me, but I forced her away and crushed her love under the heel of my greed...and I did not realize my folly until she was gone forever."

"How many times did I ache just to hold her, to smell her hair, to simply hear the sound of her voice? But that was denied me, and even with all my wealth and power, that was impossible to grasp again. . I couldn't bring her back, and there was simply no replacing her."

"What happened to her Alexander?" Brennan asked.

"After I had finally killed her love for me, she left me, and after a time, she met and married a dentist from Scranton Pennsilvania! A DENTIST! From Scranton! HAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Oh, that was my Helen. Love meant more to her than anything."

"She had three beautiful children, and she would have not the slightest contact with me. " Alexander's laughter sounded both wholeheartedly amused, and somehow also sad.

"Didn't she forgive you, even after years went by? Can't you keep trying to at least have SOME contact with her?You must have changed over the years after you realized what you had done?" Booth asked, totally taken up in Alexander's story now.

Alexander looked out of the screen at them again, and his expression was one of abysmal pain.

"She's dead."

He almost seemed to sob those words. Brennan's hand went to her mouth in shock. She whispered "Oh no!"

Alexander went on. "She died alone...died in a stupid traffic accident, on her way to pick up one of her children at a soccer game."

"I'm so sorry Alex." Brennan said.

"Since that time, I have tried to fill the hole in my being with women, wine, and dangerous, challenging adventures. I fought, partied, seduced, sought the most dangerous adventures, anything to make me forget her. But I never will, never CAN!

"Sometimes the pain eases, sometimes it does not. Always, I have the knowledge in my head that through my own stupidity, I let a rare and beautiful creature, holding an even rarer TRUE love for me, wander out of my life. No, I DROVE her from my life .And I can NEVER forget that I held true happiness in my very arms, and yet I pushed it away, never to be able to find it again" he sighed. Then made that gesture of dismissal again. "But enough of that. I will not descend into self pity."

He went on..."It changed me. Losing her changed me forever. Although I may have seemed a self indulgent, spoiled, rich playboy, and indeed, in my desperate attempts to hide from this pain", he tapped his chest over his heart, "I suppose I was, but she also changed me for the better, I suppose. I also became something of a philanthropist. Donating money to charities and causes and museums and universities and research facilities...and that is how I became aware of you, Dr. Brennan."

"Me? How? Why?"

"I annually donate large sums to the Jeffersonian. It is an excellent research facility and museum. As I have always taken a hands on approach to whatever I do, I kept track of how things were going there. When I became aware of you and your now crime fighting co workers,Dr. Brennan, and your teamwork with Mr. Booth here in solving mysterious deaths, I became interested in every one of you. I read your books, Dr, brennan. Very entertaining and intelligent. Mr. Booth, you are an FBI agent of the first order. I have watched you both from near and far for some time now. It wasn't difficult for me to spot in the both of you, what I had thrown away years before. I must admit, I became somewhat obsessed with you and your relationship. Maybe I was anxious to see you attain the type of happiness that few ever attain. And I desperately didn't want you to feel this never ending pain that I feel, not when you both have eternal happiness at your very fingertips!"

Booth listened carefully, and Brennan shifted uneasily.

"You may deny it, try to ignore it, even fight it, but I see in the both of you the same form of love that I was once privileged to be involved in, and so stupid to throw away."

"Can you imagine my frustration at watching the two of you spend all those hours in your quaint little diner together? All that time working together, to see all those loving looks you would take when the other was not aware of it? And to know that what you had between the two of you, this marvelous, this oh so rare gift that you held in your hearts for each other, and to watch the both of you SQUANDER IT? Over stupid RULES and misplaced FEARS?"

"Initially I watched you from afar, enjoying watching your growing love. Eager to see you both finally admit it to the other. Eagerness grew to impatience, impatience to frustration. You were MADE for each other, do you not feel that? Do you not realize that you would rather spend time in the company of the other than do just about anything else in the world?"

Booth and Brennan stole a look at each other, and knew he was right on that point. They always seemed drawn to each other.

" Do you not fantasize about being a FAMILY? I know you do. As I did, but only after it was far too late."

"Nothing seemed to work, you seemed so close to being a couple so many times. Nothing seemed to jar you into realizing the truth,not even when Mr. Booth admitted his love for you, Dr. Brennan. You, one of the most intelligent people I have ever met, let stupid, sense less FEAR rule your mind when you had paradise on earth offering itself there before you!"

"Please forgive me for meddling in your lives, but SOMEONE had to make you see! Iwill NOT let you squander this gift as I did! I decided action must be taken. And not having much more time in which to do it, I decided drastic and direct action must be taken."

"So you built this huge thing in this remote place just to try to bring us together here?" asked Booth as he gestured around him.

"You think an awful lot of yourself, don't you Mr. Booth? HAHAHAHAHAAAA! No Mr. Booth! No! This was just a happy coincidence! Originally I started to build this place as a retreat from the nasty world of big business, and a place to simply relax and read and play. It was to be a personal mansion...but then I got a little out of control and built it as a vacation resort for the rich, hence such a huge building. Its just another example of my distressing ability to make money. I have a two year waiting list at ridiculously high prices for this place if I had ever decided to open it." Alexander shook his head "The remote location? You'd be surprised how far you have to go to get "Away from it all" AND how willing some very rich people are to get to just such a place. They're surprisingly hard to find in this day and age you know. . "

"No Mr. Booth,this place was just available for my needs. My need to try to shock you into realizing what you meant to each other. My intention was to gently and magically waft Dr. Brennan to this location, then leave a trail of breadcrumbs for you to follow to find her. My plans went somewhat array, due to the clumsiness of my "associates" , however, the result in the end is more than I could have hoped for."

"What makes you think that? " Booth asked a little testily, remembering all the mental anguish he and probably Bones had gone through and all the physical danger as well, for this hair-brained scheme of Alexanders.

"Why, how can I NOT think I shook something loose for you to see for yourselves? Mr. Booth! Look what you went through just to get here!Look what you were prepared to do!

"And you Dr. Brennan! Begging Mr. Booth not to kill someone who probably deserves it, and worrying about his well being and the well being of his soul at such a time! Rushing to his aid when Mr. Booth needed it the most against a very dangerous man, with no thought to your own safety. Plus the talks I have had with you Dr. Brennan. I do not think you realize how often you bring up Mr. Booth in even the most unrelated of conversations. Its obvious to me each of you loves the other more than life itself. The fact you are standing so close now and holding hands is just another sign."

Booth and Brennan were rather surprised to see that he was right. They each looked down at their intertwined hands, then smiled to each other. Then they looked back at the screen, not letting go but clutching tighter.

"Admit it to yourselves, when either of you thought you might lose the other, your world would have come crashing down around you. Am I not correct? Yes, I thought so. You NEED each other. You LOVE each other. Now you must SAY it to each other!" Alexander said forcefully.

But he was forgotten, they were already looking at each other. Booth knew he loved her beyond anything except for maybe Parker. He had known for a long time, he had even told her, but he had buried those feelings again when she rejected him. Now they thundered up through him like a potential volcanic eruption and he knew he was going to tell her how much , how desperately he needed her in his life. How he loved her oh so much.

Brennan knew it as well. She was terrified. That same old unreasoning, unthinking fear rose in her again, but when she remembered how she felt when she thought that perhaps Booth had crashed and died in trying to get to her, how much more terrifying that feeling was than the fear of being abandoned by one she loved. And deep down, she knew Booth would never purposefully do that to her. She had to take a chance in her life. No more playing it safe. No more hiding behind her intellect and her lab coat and her job.

They held hands and looked deep into each others eyes.

"I love you." Said in unison. Said with passion. Said with conviction. Said with truth. Said with love. And finally, FINALLY, said to each other.

They kissed. A loving, yet flaming and passionate and powerful kiss.

"At last! AT LAST! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!" Alexander said with unbridled glee! "FINALLY! I was beginning to think nothing would open your eyes to each other!"

Booth tore his eyes away from Brennan's beautiful blue ones, then said to Alexander, "OK, what now? There's a LOT of complications now. Legal and otherwise."

"Piff!" Alexander said with that imperious wave. "All taken care of. I throw enough money at a problem, and it always disappears. "

"Oh that reminds me", he said, as he hoisted on a large back pack. "Money. When you get back to Washington, that bank I sent you to? Go there. There's something there for you."

"Something? What something?" Booth asked.

"I liquidated as much of my personal financial "empire" as was possible, and have donated a large portion of it to the organizations I mentioned earlier. Charities, hospitals, foundations, research. I did have a stipend left over, I'm giving that to you Mr. Booth, and you Dr. Brennan, even though you Dr. Brennan, don't need it. Call it a wedding gift. Don't muck about with a long engagement, please stop wasting time. Its to help cover the cost, material and psychological, of your discomforts. Its not enough for ALL the trouble I've caused you, but I hope it will soften the blow. All the paperwork is done and just waiting for your signatures. "

"Uh, how much is this stipeend ?" Brennan asked.

Alexander cocked his head to the side a little, thinking, then said "Somewhere in the vicinity of 276 million dollars."

Booth actually made a croaking sound. Then managed, "What the hell are we supposed to do with that kind of money?"

"Anything you want, Mr. Booth. You are now on par with even Mr. Jack Hodgins! It frees you to do anything! My suggestion would be to do what you do best, solve crimes and help people. Maybe open a private consulting firm of your own, taking your excellent team with you! . Who knows? I do know that you will both use the money wisely and with sincerity."

"Just where are you going, Alexander?" Brennan asked.

"I? I am going for a little hike.."

"Where too?" Booth asked.

"To the top of this little hill behind us, Mr. Booth." Alexander indicated.

"Alexander! You can't! The weather is worsening and it will be dark long before you get to the summit and back, IF you get back! "

"But I have no intention of coming back! I have an appointment dear Dr. Brennan. To either have a drink with Death, or spit in his eye! HAHAHAHAA!"  
Then Alexander grew suddenly serious, and said through bared teeth and a clenched fist held up before him. "I would meet Death on my feet! And with strength and with courage and sinew, while I still have them! NOT gasping out my last breaths in some sterile hospital room, helpless and twisted and useless!"

Then he transformed again. He grinned happily. "I intend to make it to the top of this little heap of rock. Have a drink of wine, enjoy the view, and see who shows up to share my bottle."

"THAT mountain? The one behind THIS building? But that's got to be..." Brennan began.

"Approxamately 3850 meters, or a little over 12, 800 feet, Doctor. We are a goodly portion of that distance up the mountain already. Should make for an exhilarating hike. Thank you both for finally realizing the truth about yourselves,its been a pleasure meeting you both. Good bye." He turned to leave.

"Alexander!" Brennan called.

"Yes my dear?"

"Despite everything...its been a privilege, and far too short a time, to have known you."

Alexander grinned his charming and magnetic grin. The only one she had ever seen comparable to it was Booth's.

"Thank you my dear Dr. Bre...My dear Temperance. I would say the same in return. Take care of her Mr. Booth, she is indeed a rare and beautiful gem.I hope you appreciate her."

"I will, but Alexander?"

"Yes, Mr. Booth?"

Call me Booth...its what all my friends call me...Booth."

"But of course, Booth,and thank you for numbering me among such excellent people. The locks of this room will time themselves open shortly after my departure. Make yourselves at home for the remainder of the week. I've made arrangements to have you flown out of here whenever you wish. Just use that radio on my desk, the frequency is set and the plane will be on standby for as long as is needed. ."

With a final nod and that magnetic, magnanimous grin at the screen, he said in a simple farewell, " Temperance, Booth." and with that, Alexander turned again and went out through a door behind him, and into the quickly chilling air, he disappeared..

"Booth..we should.."

"Stop him? You really think we could...or should? I kind of agree with him about whatever disease he has. ... I wouldn't want to go out like that either."

Brennan was silent. Having met and talked with Alexander for some hours, and knowing how full of life he was, she could think no differently about this issue than Booth did. Let him go, let him meet Death on HIS terms. Alexander had lived his whole life that way, why not go out that way as well. Brennan smiled, a little sadly, but with gladness for Alexander as well. "I hope he finds what he's looking for up there, Booth."

"Are you kidding Bones? I think Alexander will find just who he wants up there, have a drink with him, AND spit in his eye!" A deep chuckle rumbled in Booth's chest. "He's quite a person, that's for sure.I'm sorry now that we didn't get a chance to talk more."

"Stockholm Syndrome Booth?" Brennan asked playfully and grinned.

Booth just gave her a sour look, then clutched her to him, and kissed her deeply.

They heard the locks of the room snick open. Booth looked at Brennan and said, "Where's your room? I could use a shower, and now that you have dirt and camo makeup all over your face, maybe you'll want one too. Or..maybe we can take one together. " He gave a wicked grin.

Brennan smiled back up at him and agreed, and said "Come with me, I'll show you my rooms. You'll be impressed, Alexander was quite an obliging host. And I think you'll enjoy the shower. He spared no expense."  
Brennan chuckled to herself as she said this, and Booth started following her out with a quizzical look on his face.

Brennan opened the door and led Booth hand in hand out into the hallway beyond, just as the stairway door at the far end of the corridor swung open.

Anton's bulky figure appeared before them with surprising speed! He started raising a pistol, as Booth's hand instinctively slapped to the holster at his thigh...with all the distractions he realized in a flash his hand gun was on Alexander's desk where he had foolishly laid it as they talked to him! ! Anton's grin of triumph was an ugly grimace as Booth realized instantly there was no hope of escape, his only chance was to charge at Anton, taking whatever bullets the Russian fired in hopes that Brennan would somehow escape in the confusion.

Booth grabbed Brennan and threw her behind him as he tensed to charge...then with a dignified and musical *DING*, the elevator announced its arrival, and the doors slide noiselessly open.

Anton's head whipped around, and there was an instant of hesitation as he saw Jack and Angela appear there. Jack whipped up his firearm and realized to his horror he hadn't taken his safety off! He desperately tried to find it, fumbling with it uselessly.

Anton flashed a quick, evil smile to the still too far away Booth, then raised his other pistol at the pair in the elevator, Jack, still fumbling futilly with a gun he was unfamiliar with, and Angela, standing stock still, her hands at her sides.

"Amateurs" he sneered. "Watch your friends die, Mr. Booth!"

Three sharp snaps, like fire crackers exploding in the corridor, went off in quick succession. Brennan screamed, Booth moaned in futility, seemingly running in slow motion to try to save his beloved friends. And Anton stood, still pointing his gun, even as the blood ran in three small rivulets down his face from his forehead. Slowly, like a great tree in the forest, he swayed, then toppled full length to the sumptuously carpeted floor with a dull thump.

Angela stood, her arm straight, her small pistol still smoking. Jack stared at her in disbelief.

Booth finally reached Anton and kicked the pistols away. He checked the big Russian, then rolled him over. There were three small holes grouped in a tight triangle just above and between his eyebrows. He was dead.

Booth looked up at Angela, still pointing her weapon,and said "Uh, Jack? CAREFULLY take that gun from Angela. By the way , nice grouping Ang. When did you learn to shoot like that? "

"Just...now..." Angela said, then looked like she was going to be sick.

"Amazing. Bones, maybe you had better take Angela to your room and get her calmed down for now. Me and Rambo here will take care of Anton." Booth said, as he looked at Jack, who was still holding the automatic rifle.

"Jack, better put that rifle down before you bruise someone with it. Now give me a hand, we'll take this thing down to the garage level in the elevator."

"What are we going to do with him Booth?"

"I'm going to take him out there somewhere and bury him, Jack. As far as I'm concerned, its more than he deserves, but I'm going to do it anyway."

"But...shouldn't we...like...shouldn't something official happen here? Like...I dunno...call the cops or something?" Jack said uncertainly.

"I'm not gonna let this creep bugger up any more lives, Jack. He's gonna disappear, and that's that. He fled with the rest of those guys, that's how I see it.

"You're right...I'll help, Booth. Lets get this done and over with." Jack said.

They took Anton's body down to the garage, wrapped him in a blanket, and took him as far away from the building as they could manage. They buried his corpse, and Booth knelt over the makeshift and unmarked grave, crossed himself, and said a prayer.

"Think he deserves that Booth? Think he even BELIEVED in any of that?"

"Doesn't matter, Jack, I do. And in the end, its not me OR you who will judge him. May the Lord have mercy on his soul, if he ever had one. Lets get inside Jack, its starting to snow."

Booth looked down at the grave, then up toward the heights of the mountain, now shadowed and obscured with clouds and snow showers, and he wondered how far Alexander might have gotten by now.

"Say hello to Death for me, Alex." Booth muttered. "I think we had a close brush with him ourselves not so many minutes ago. Spit in the ugly bastard's eye for me."

Booth then clapped Jack on the shoulder, and grinned a grin that would have made Alexander proud, and said "Lets get out of this cold and back to those hot women, Jack! We need warming up!"

"Roger THAT!" Jack said with a devilish grin of his own and in his best mock military manner.

Booth threw his head back and laughed a deep, exuberant laugh, clapped Jack on the shoulder again, and headed for the building. As they walked toward it, and Jack entered, Booth hesitated at the door. He looked up at the mountain again,and said softly, "Thank you Alexander." Then disappeared inside.  
========================================================== Booth and Jack got in the elevator, and then Booth suddenly realized something.

"Jack...Y'know what? I have no idea where Bone's room is! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

Jack grinned at Booth's laugh. He'd never seen Booth quite like this before, and he had no idea how much Booth sounded like Alexander just now. But to him Booth sounded more relaxed and...free...maybe that was the word, more free than he had ever seen him.

"OK, lets go back up to the top floor, and work our way down." Jack suggested.

"Yeah, that worked out pretty well last time, eh Jack? Turns out its a good thing you got a gunslinger for a wife!" Booth said with another laugh. "Well, its as good a plan as any, lets go find them." They got in the elevator and Booth pushed the button for the top floor.

When they reached it, they walked out. Booth said, "Guess we might have to go room to room to find them."

"I think I can find them Booth. We just have to go down one floor and then go to the 2nd door on the right out of the elevator."

How can you..oh..."

Jack with an impish grin, was holding up a note Brennan had taped to the wall beside the elevator doors.

"Good job detective Hodgins! Let go find our girls!"

Booth walked past Jack and back into the elevator. Jacks eyebrows were high with surprise at Booth's remark.

For his part, Booth couldn't believe how badly he ached to hold Brennan in his arms.

They came to the room, and Booth knocked and they went in.

Brennan and Angela were standing side by side in front of the windows, looking out over the amazing vista. Both were wrapped in large bathrobes and had obviously just showered.

Angela turned and saw Jack, and ran to him and they hugged. Brennan walked up and told Jack, "There's another suite just down the hall, to your right. She needs you right now, maybe take her there and get her comfortable. If you need anything, you know where to find us."

"We won't need anything for a few hours at least hun." Angela said. "I need to forget what just happened for a while and I know just how to do that. Come with me jack."

"Probably" Was all Jack said, along with a wicked grin, as Angela led him from the room.

Booth and Brennan watched him go, then Booth turned to Brennan, still aching to hold her.

"Booth, there's fresh towels and everything you need in the bathroom, you need a shower badly. Wash what happened away if you can. I'll fix us something to drink and a snack, ok?"

The only thing in the world Booth wanted right now was Brennan in his arms, but he looked down at his dirt and blood soaked clothing, and thought Brennan was right, time to wash as much of this whole thing away as was possible.

He washed up in that amazing shower, dried off and carelessly wrapped himself around the hips in a walked out into the main room, and stopped in front of the windows to admire the view. it truly was amazing.

Brennan walked in from the kitchen area, and her breath caught, as she almost dropped the tray she was carrying.

Booth's athletic form was silhouetted against the sky . His shoulders seemed as broad as the sweeping landscape .The towel rode low on his hips, his hair was still damp, and the odd rivulet of water was still coursing down his back. For Brennan, it was a heart stopping scene. The almost overwhelming landscape out there was equaled by the sight of Booth framed by the windows, his rugged good looks and physigue seemingly chiseled from the same material as the mountains. She had the sudden impulse to go lick one of those water droplets off his skin. And she didn't think she'd stop there if she started. She cleared her throat. "Uh, Booth, do you want me...uh..want me to pour a glass of wine for you?"

Booth turned to face her, and the tray rattled loudly from Brennan putting it down too hard because she was staring at Booth still. Her eyes trailed down his form. That towel was riding very low indeed..God...she could see the hairs just above his...

"Bones?" Booth wasn't hungry or thirsty...not for food or drink at least.

Having been parted from her, after fearing he might lose her forever, what he wanted was Brennan in his arms! More than anything he ever wanted before. He wanted to hold her, touch her, look at her, kiss her, breath in her scent, he wanted to hear her say his name...he wanted her with every fiber of his being and with every sense he possessed. His need was fierce, his longing intense, his love for her beyond description.

"Bones" He breathed, just above a whisper.

"Booth" she murmured in reply, echoing and mirroring his wants and needs and desires, and there was no fear. She knew at that moment she was going to give herself over to Booth and his love for her, without fear and without doubts and it was going to be forever. She was his forever.

They were suddenly together, each clutching the other is if their lives depended on it. Brennan's head was pressed into Booth's chest, and a sudden flow of tears coursed down her cheeks.  
Normally her scientists mind would stop to consider why this was happening, analyze every aspect of this encounter, catalog the events in her mind for later study...but not now. Now she gave in to the sensations without a second thought, and with a great sense of gratefulness.

To finally be able to hold him, to be held by him, to feel his body against hers,and to feel his love for her soaking into her like the warmth from his body was doing...this was the sweetest thing Brennan had ever felt. She never wanted it to end.

Booth held Brennan to him tightly, his heart pounding, as if it was struggling to deal with the powerful flood of love he felt for her now. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent deeply. He was aware of every inch of his skin where their bodies met.

He clutched her to him, and they stood for long minutes, just holding each other tightly,as if their long separation had drained something from each of them, and they had to make this physical contact to make things right again. For long minutes, this is what they needed, this is what they had to do. So for long minutes, they just held each other tightly and slightly swayed back and forth.

Finally, Booth was able to speak.

"Bones...oh God Bones...for a time there I was so afraid...the thought of you gone...of never holding you like this..." there was a note of panic in his voice.

She looked up at him and lay a calming and loving hand on his cheek. " Booth, when I heard that you and the others had disappeared and they feared you crashed, I didn't know how I could go on without you. It hit me like a truck! It hit me right then how much you mean to me. You mean everything, EVERYTHING! And we're here now, safe, whole, together!"

"Bones...I love you, so so much!"

Without a moments hesitation, Brennan replied.

"I love you too Booth. I have for longer than I care to admit. I'm sorry it took me so long to see it..I love you...more then anything I love you...

Their latent love for each other, now recognized and admitted and accepted, swelled in them like an opening flower. It grew and coursed through them like a wildfire, and it demanded expression, which flared in both of them simultaneously as a physical desire for each other that nothing could deny or stop.

Booth suddenly throbbed hard and hot against her hip, almost painfully hard in his sudden and desperate need for her. Brennan felt it, and saw it in his eyes, and knew she needed him just as badly.  
She reached down and pulled the towel from him, and gladly gripped his deliciously long and hard c*ck, stroking him slowly as she reached up with her mouth to meet his and devour him with kisses.

She sobbed through the kisses, moaning and desperate, she wanted all of him all at once, wanted him filling her mouth and her #### and she wanted his hands on all over her and she needed him so badly it hurt!

She trailed a series of molten hot kisses down his neck and chest, pausing to suck and bite at his nipples, bringing desperate gasps from him. Then further down, licking and kissing his stomach, swirling her tongue around his navel, then even lower, all the while stroking him and fondling him with both hands.

Booth watched and gasped and couldn't stop her. She kissed down and down, then along the long shaft of his c*ck, her eyes closed as if to savor him, then her mouth lovingly engulfed the head, and they both moaned in pleasure.

Brennan sucked and licked and swirled her tongue and manipulated with her hands, using all her experience and all this new love and need to try to please Booth like never before.

But Booth wanted more...he wanted HER! He wanted..needed, to be inside her, to fill her.

He stopped her, reaching down and standing her to her feet, pulled off her bathrobe and held her at arms length for a moment, his eyes traveling over her now naked body with searing heat and need.

"Bones, oh my Bones, I love you so much" As he said this, he lowered her to the carpeted floor. Neither gave a second thought to the location. They needed each other too badly . She yielded willingly. He scorched her body with kisses on mouth neck and breasts that left her breathless. His hands were on her everywhere, almost roughly,needfully, possessively, as if trying to consume her by his touch..

"Oh Booth...mmm... I need you.." She needed no more foreplay, the long separation, the dangers and the fears, and now the togetherness she felt with Booth drove her insane with the need for him.

Booth needed no more encouragement then that. He placed himself over her, and she gripped him, and spread her legs and opened herself to him, and guided him into her.

"I love you I love you I love you oooohhhgod oooohhhhh Booth I love youuuuu" She whispered in his ear as he penetrated deeply into her, while at the same time Booth moaned back, "Oh Bones, oh Bones, oooohhh my Bones..."

Their lovemaking was urgent, their need for each other so strong that it quickly drove them to heights neither had ever reached before. Brennan clawed at Booth's back and wrapped her legs tightly around him, arching her pelvis up with grateful sobs to meet each of his deep plunges into her. Inarticulate now except for moans and mutterings and whispers of his name.

Booth's body had taken him over, he was no longer in control of himself as he hammered into Brennan in long deep strokes, and both he and Brennan quickly built toward a stupendous climax.

"Booth..oooh Booth, Booth..oh Booth...OH BOOTH OH OH OH BOOOOOOTH! OOOOOHHHHH!"

"Bones...I love you Bones...oh oh OOHHH BONES OOHHHGODBONNNNNNNES!AAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!"

Both were now lost in sensations for each other so intense there was no comparison to anything they previously knew. Sharp spasms of of pleasure shot through the entirety of both their bodies.

Though it was a physical release, it was also more than that. It was also in part a spiritual bonding between them that went beyond anything they had ever experienced before. Wracked by spasms so strong they bordered on pain, it was also as if they were infecting the other with their essences. An infection from which there was no cure. They would never want one in any case. They were bonded now, joined, parts of a whole, one incomplete without the other. .

Booth, gasping, collapsed onto Brennan. She held him, reveling in the feel of his big body on top her,and in her still, and the weight of him reassured her that this wasn't some dream. God, he was here, really here, and he was hers and hers alone, and he would never leave her, she had not a single doubt about that now.

Booth hugged Brennan as best he could, then after a time lifted himself a little, and looked into her eyes.

"Bones...oh God Bones, that was..."

"I know my love, I know, there aren't words."

Booth kissed her, now that the keen edge of their urgency was sated a little, it was with a tenderness and gentleness. "Loving." Brennan thought this word to herself. They were loving kisses, deeply loving, and she returned them in kind. This whole bizarre situation, from the beginning, had initiated a change in at first, but steady, picking up speed with every jolt and jar along the way, until this final explosion of passion had finally completed a , and what had changed, she wasn't entirely sure yet, but as she hugged Booth to her, she knew is was right, and it was good.

. She felt...different...new...like she was a butterfly that had just released itself from a cocoon. A cocoon that had stifled and smothered her ability to give herself over to this wonderful man for so long. But now she was free of it, she had stripped it away, and she had let herself open up to Booth on more than just a physical level. She had opened herself completely to him, let him inside her, with mind as well as body. And it was the most wonderful, fulfilling thing she had ever done. She felt wonderfully satisfied, yet wanting him again. She knew now that she would never get enough of him, but she'd do her best to try!

They cuddled and held each other for a time, then Booth said, "Nice carpeting, very comfortable Bones, but maybe we can try a more suitable location for this? "Why don't we get cleaned up and rest in bed for a while." He waggled his eyebrows, and gave her a hot smile that could melt steel.

She agreed, saying she was going to take another quick shower. But it wasn't quick, Booth wound up joining her and it took a lot longer then she had first thought.

The next day, Booth and Brennan, hand in hand, stood beside Angela and Jack on the dock on the lake far below what they all for some reason called The Building, watching a float plane taxi up to them.

Jack spoke up, "I can't wait to get home."  
"Me either, maybe I'll get some sleep then. Its so noisy here." She said this with a wickedly naughty looking wink at Brennan. Brennan smirked back at her and then happily cuddled closer to Booth.

Jack said, "Hey, its another Beaver, must be a lot of them up in this territory...hey...that's not just ANY Beaver! That's TJ!"

"Do you have to put it THAT way Jack?" Angela said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Oh crap!" Jack said as he smothered a laugh.

He grabbed a rope thrown from the plane by a very pretty woman with a wild mane of blond hair being whipped up by wind from the idling propeller, and tied it off.

"Hey TJ!" Jack said cautiously. "I see you got your Bea...uh...your plane back. That's great! I wouldn't want to try a takeoff from this place in anything else."

"Hey Jack." TJ said with a high wattage smile...at Booth. But it quickly faded as she saw him standing hand in hand with a remarkably beautiful woman.

"Hi Booth, this must be who you came after...I can see why you traveled so far and risked so much. I'm TJ, nice to meet you."

"Temperance Brennan" Temp answered, then uncharacteristically, she hugged TJ. "Thank you for helping my friends find me, I'll never forget it."

"Its the least I could do. Way up here, you learn to help one another when its needed." That was a half truth. In fact, she would have done a lot more for Booth, if circumstances allowed...a LOT more. She stole a glance at Booth, and knew that was now and never would be a possibility. It didn't take a trained eye to see the devotion on his face for Brennan.

TJ heaved a short sigh, then said, "Well, lets get out of here, its getting late."

They loaded up and she taxied the plane out for the takeoff run. Booth leaned up from the seat behind her and asked, "TJ, is it possible to make a fly over of the summit of that mountain behind The Building? "

TJ suppressed a delicious shiver and the urge to lean back toward Booth's mouth, so close to her ear. "Uh, sure, sure, guess so. How come?"

"I'd just like to see it, that's all."

"OK, shouldn't be a problem. Here we go."

They took off, and TJ circled higher and higher, then flew for the summit.

"Can you go as close as possible?" Booth asked.

"Sure thing." TJ replied, and she dipped the plane closer.

As they flew by, Booth and the others looked down. Booth grabbed some binoculars for a closer look.

There, planted in the snow, and whipping in the wind, were two flags. One a red and white Canadian flag, and planted beside it, a Greek flag. Laying nearby, an empty wine bottle, partially covered by the snow. Of Alexander there was no sign. There was nothing else, not even tracks or footprints.

"The sonofabitch made it! HA!... HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Way to go Alexander!" Booth's laugh, and the look of happiness on his face, was contagious, and they all found themselves smiling along with him.

"I hope you hawked a good loogie right into his eye, Alexander! Wherever you are, rest in peace you old prick!" Booth said as he snapped off a sincere salute toward the flags below.

And much like Booth had done earlier, Brennan gazed down at the scene below, and as a happy tear coursed down her cheek, and she hugged Booth's arm tighter to her breast, she whispered to the mountain, "I'll never forget you. Thank you, Alex. Thank you so much."

The small plane leveled out, and headed East, away from The Building, the mountain,and the Ghost of Alexander, and flew off, toward new adventures... .

THE END 


End file.
